D Grayman: The Tale of the Hayaite and Tessei
by Emmy Bookman
Summary: Lavi thought it was pointless for a Bookman to have a heart, that is, until he met a new exorcist named Emi Lazzarani. This is a first-person account of Emi's time with the Order. LavixOc
1. The Girl on the Beach

Author's Note:

This is written in first person and I usually don't write in first person, so the voice or tone of the writing might feel a bit off sometimes. Also, I've got typo issues and stuff. I know this already, so please do not nitpick. I'll go through eventually and fix all of those. I just forget to or I lose them. Sorry! I hope I've done all of the characters justice and I really hope you enjoy the story. Reviews and plot suggestions are always loved and will be taken into consideration, always

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My name is Emiko Gabriella Lazzarani and I'm seventeen years old. I recently found out that I have this connection, so to speak, with something called Innocence. That means that I, and people like me, are destined to travel the world and save souls that have been held captive by demons known as akuma. I am an exorcist and I work for an organization known as the Black Order. My friends call me Emi.

That's as short as my introduction really gets, though. I bet you're wondering how a seventeen year-old girl gets into a profession like exorcizing demons. To figure all that out, I have to go back into my history a little farther. I know, I know! It's so boring listening to someone tell their life story, so I'll try to make it really quick, I promise!

My dad was an Italian military man and my mother was a very traditional Japanese woman. He met her while stationed at an island near Japan, since no one really actually lived in the eastern country for several years. They fell in love instantly. My dad was stunned by the exotic foreign woman and my mom was impressed by my father's uniform. It's really a very classic story of opposites attract. Dad was always very straight-laced and my mother was always much more gentle and free-spirited.

For the first half of my life, I had a brother who was two years older than me. His name was Ren, and he looked after me like any older brother should. He was the greatest, even if he did tease me for being a cry baby all the time. We didn't really grow up in a traditional household, as our father thought it was ideal to train us in all sorts of fighting styles as soon as we learned to walk. We had some of the best teachers from around the world come and train us. By the time I was ten, I was trained in five different martial arts styles and was on the verge of mastering over twenty classes of weaponry.

When I was about eight years-old, Ren got very sick. No one could do anything for him, and he soon passed away. No one took Ren's death harder than my mother. She fell into a deep depression and ended up staggering about the house for months in the fashion of a zombie before she finally didn't have the strength to get out of bed anymore. With Dad always gone on military business that left me to fend for myself and take care of my mute mother. She wouldn't talk to feed herself. She just stayed in bed, all the time, with that mournful expression on her face. This lasted for almost a decade. A few months ago, a boy showed up in my village in southern Italy, and he changed my life forever.

Mom had a bad day that day. Dad had been gone for several weeks and hadn't sent any letters home. Whenever that happened, it meant that my mom would have a mental breakdown. She'd come out of her usual silence to scream and thrash around. When that happened, I couldn't do much but try to restrain her until her body ran out of energy. Lucky for me, the woman never really had much energy built up, so her fits didn't last long. It was the responsibility of taking care of my mother that prevented me from having friends. Not to mention, after Ren died, all of our friends just reminded me of him, so I ended up isolating myself that way, too. So, basically, when Mom had a bad day, I had a bad day.

It isn't right for anyone to ever feel as lonely as I did when I was growing up. When bad days happened, I usually spent them on the beach training my frustrations away. My favorite method of training was always to tie weights around my wrists as well as put heavy brass knuckles on. Training with these things on made for a harder work out. Then, when I took them off, my speed would naturally be faster.

That particular evening, after Mom's bad day, I was training harder than I usually did. That was one thing that I inherited from my father: determination. I guess you could say that my determination was on the verge of being considered stubbornness and stupidity, because I was always very unaware of my own limitations. I often didn't realize when I would get fatigued during those days training and would just fall asleep on the spot, unable to make it back to my house. My blindness towards myself wasn't just about fatigue, though. I always had a very hard time realizing my own emotions. Ren had always teased me about being a crybaby, so, after his death I refused to ever cry again. Then again, who can really run from their emotions for very long?

I had just completed a form, after doing countless ones before it, when I turned to look out at the horizon. I wished Dad would come home and take care of Mom for a few days. I think that, at that point in time, he forgot how to love her, or why he ever loved her to begin with. He wasn't very kind, but I couldn't handle it all on my own. I was just a kid, after all, and had been for years, but all that weight was on my shoulders. My brow was beaded with sweat and I panted hard. The sky was a bright pink color because the sun was half-hiding behind the sea that rested before me. The sound of the water crashing on the sand resonated in my ears. I panted a few more times and then my eyes started to sting. It was a forgotten feeling, actually, that happened before I would cry. I didn't realize I was about to cry, though. Instead, I just knew that my eyes burned and that I was getting very annoyed. I was so annoyed, in fact, that I hadn't heard the footsteps wander up behind me.

"Excuse me, do you think you could- uuuh," the voice began with an odd accent, but as I turned suddenly with a surprised scowl on my face, the owner of the voice looked alarmed and trailed off. He was a boy about my age with oddly red hair and an eye patch. Considering that I'm about five and a half feet in height, he was maybe four or five inches taller than me. Anyways, his look of surprise seemed to melt away rather quickly as he gawked at me, which only made my scowl harder.

"Wha...? Why are you crying?" he asked with his one visible green eye wide with concern. Instantly, I felt my brow scrunch up as my fists clenched at my sides.

"I'm not crying!" I snapped rather loudly. The boy flinched again, but let out a nervous laugh as he moved his hands around in a gesture that read, 'Okay, okay!'

"Well, then, do you think that you might be able to help me? I'm looking for the town in this area that's been having a lot of missing person's reports lately. Sound familiar?"

I blinked at him with a rather dull look on my face. My village certainly didn't have a problem with people going missing, but I didn't get out of my house often so I didn't really hear a lot of the news that came in from surrounding towns.

"Sorry, but I can't help you," I said with a shrug. I think my face must have softened up at that point. I've never been the type of girl to snap at people. In fact, I've always been told that I'm such a polite and humble by nature type of person. I say this because the boy seemed to relax a little.

"That's alright, I guess. Do you know anyone around here who would be able to answer my questions then?" he continued to prod. My light brown eyes looked upward toward my hairline as I thought. Unlike most of the other girls in my village, I didn't have bangs to cover my forehead. I had a birthmark on top of my head that caused my hair to grow a very light blonde color despite the fact that the majority of the hair on my head was a dark brown color. My hair was also a wavy mess. Anyways, I had always been self-conscious about my big forehead when I was little, and my father decided that, to overcome my own "fear" that I should face it head on. That meant I was never allowed to have bangs to cover my face, and, as I got older, I just got used to my out-of-control wavy hair being pulled back into a low hair-tie.

"I think the farmer on the northern side of town deals with most of the trade for this village. I can take you to his house, if you'd like," I offered as a sort of apology for snapping at him before. My offer seemed to make him completely overjoyed. I thought for a moment that he was going to thrust a fist into the air in excitement, but he contained himself.

"That would be AMAZING!" he said, his voice just as much relieved as it was happy. I did all I could to stifle the giggle that I felt roaring in the bottom of my throat, but he caught the smile on my face and beamed at me. "I'm Lavi, by the way," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Emi," I said, finally letting the small laugh escape my throat. It was that moment that I seemed to leave my bad day behind me. What an odd and completely adorable strange boy, I thought to myself. "Let's get going. I can't really be away from home much longer," I said, my mind briefly panning over to think of my mother. No doubt she was fast asleep in her bed and would likely stay that way for hours, but you never really knew. It would be dark in a few moments and it was always best to find refuge inside your house after dark.

Moments later we found ourselves sitting inside the farmer's house at his table. He prepared tea for us and Lavi began to ask questions.

"So, you've heard about the missing people?" he asked. The farmer nodded.

"In a town about three hours north of here," he said. "But I wouldn't be out so late after dark, if I were you. Strange things happen out there at night," he cautioned. Lavi nodded.

"Thanks for your help," he said, getting up to leave. I followed him outside. For some reason, I wasn't ready for this strange boy to disappear from my life quite yet.

"Lavi, you can't be much older than me," I began once the door was securely closed behind us. "Why are you so concerned with missing people?" I asked. Lavi looked at me for a moment and then just grinned and rubbed the back of his head again. I gave him a rather not-amused look before he sighed in defeat. I didn't know this at the time, but Lavi's weakness was girls, cute girls, which he considered me to be one of.

"Well, I'm an exorcist," he said simply. I'd heard rumors of exorcists before, but I didn't think they really existed, so I thought he was pulling my leg. "No, really!" he said defensively as my not-amused face intensified. "The missing people could be victims of an akuma rumored to be in this area. Some people from my organization came out to scout the area, but we lost contact with them a few days ago," he said. It was then that I noticed how tired he looked. I hesitated for a moment and thought about my mom. Maybe she'd just stay asleep all night... Hopefully, with what I was about to say, anyway.

"Hey, Lavi? Why don't you stay in the spare room at my house tonight? The farmer was telling the truth when he said that it's just not safe around here at night. I don't want to worry myself to death with you disappearing into the night, since I probably won't ever see you again, anyway. I don't need that on my conscience," I said, crossing my arms. He seemed to think it over for a moment, and then nodded and gave me a thumbs up.

"You got it!" he said.

I don't know what time it was when I woke up, but it was really dark outside. At least, I thought it was really dark outside. It took me a moment before I realized that my room was actually full of thick black smoke. Once that realization sunk in, I sat upright with lightning speed. Hurling out of bed, I flung my bedroom door open to look out into the hall. My room, and Lavi's room, was on the second floor of the house. My mother's room was on the bottom level. It was then that I looked over the railing into the den area below to see my mother standing there in the middle of the smoke-filled room. All around her, flames were roaring.

"MOM!" I screamed in alarm. She hadn't gotten out of bed by herself in years! I couldn't figure out how she'd gotten out of bed and started a fire of all things! In that moment of fear, all those years of training seemed to have fled from my mind. "LAVI!" I screamed, not knowing what else to do. Even before I screamed for him, Lavi was hurrying out of his room. His red hair was a mess from having been asleep, but it wasn't until later when I reflected on the situation did I realize that I found him to be pretty attractive like that.

Before I could say or do anything, Lavi put his hand on the banister and lifted his body over it before landing in a crouching position on the wooden floor of the main level of the house. Then he dashed over to my mother and wrapped his arms around her. The flames roared higher and, before I knew what was happening, I was suddenly surrounded by heat and my ears were ringing. Everything went black for a moment and my body ached all over the place. I found myself lying on damp grass. As sirens went of fin my head, my blurred vision slowly began to focus.

The entire top half of my house was gone and the flames were reaching for the heavens. My house had exploded somehow, but I couldn't think of how. All I knew was that Lavi had suddenly fallen from the sky, landing next to me with unusual grace. It took a moment for his words to break through the bells in my head.

"Emi! Are you alright? Emi!" His face swirled in and out of focus for a moment before reality finally returned to me at full force.

"Where's my mom!" I immediately inquired, grabbing onto Lavi's sleeve as I pulled myself up. Lavi just looked up toward the sky with an intense frown on his face. I followed his gaze to see something large, round, and gray up in the sky. It was coming at us fast, and that's when I noticed that it looked like a giant landmine with a human head on it. The face resembled that of my mother.

"Emi, your mother is an akuma!" Lavi said. His words were direct and stung, but he couldn't have put it anymore delicately. "EXTEND!" he yelled suddenly. The small hammer that he carried with him then grew very long and he went hurling in the akuma's direction. My eyes widened my at least four inches as he then flung the hammer up into the air, the handle coming back in so that the giant mallet swung upward and then came back down on the akuma's head.

There was a huge explosion as the akuma shot bullets of purple light at the hammer to stop it from connecting. Lavi flew through the air and landed hard on the ground several yards away from me.

"LAVI!" I screamed in a panic. I thought for sure that he was done for, but a moment later, he stumbled out of the smoke from his crash landing and was at it again. He jumped and swung the hammer at the akuma again, this time connecting with it. The giant demon then came flying through the air in my direction.

I think I screamed, but I can't really remember. Somewhere I heard Lavi's voice calling my name as I had done with his name only moments before. All I knew was that I instinctually balled my hand into a fist and thrust it forward in my defense. I don't really know where my brass knuckles came from, but when I opened my eyes, they were glowing green and rocks and dust were falling all around me. The akuma was no where to be found. When I looked up, I saw a glowing ghostly form of my brother the way he looked before he died. He smiled at me and his distant voice reached my ears.

"Stay strong, little sis," he said. Then, the ghost turned into a beam of light that shot straight up into a sky. Again, that annoying burn stung my eyes. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a hand land on my shoulder. This time, though, the surprised look on my face was timid instead of angry. I looked up to see a sympathetic smile on Lavi's face.

"You set him free, Emi. You mom and brother can rest in peace now thanks to you. What would you say if I asked you to come back to the Order with me?" he asked. I blinked the burning sensation out of my eyes. I couldn't tell if any tears escaped or not because my face was hot and covered in sweat. I hoped none did, but I wouldn't doubt it if they had.

"You mean...?" I trailed off.

"That's right. The akuma was here killing off people in other towns. It didn't kill anyone here because the innocence was so close to it that it couldn't. It was dormant here for years, but I think when my innocence showed up, the akuma couldn't stand it anymore," he explained. I looked back at my house. It was completely engulfed in flames. My home was gone. My family was gone. I had nothing left.

I looked up at Lavi for a moment before my head drooped so that I was staring at the ground. I really had nothing- no reason to stay in my village. Before I could say anything, I felt hands on my shoulders again. They gave me a light tug and I involuntarily stepped forward. My face crashed gently into Lavi's shoulder and he gave me a light hug. I felt my heart skip a beat, which was an entirely new feeling for me. Then that annoying burn came back to my eyes, but I wouldn't allow myself to cry. I did, however, give in and bury my face into his chest. My hands found their way to his back where I balled his shirt into my fists. I felt my body shake all over.

"Everything will be alright," Lavi said as he held me in his arms. "You just gotta trust me, okay?" I didn't say anything. I left my face buried in the nook between his shoulder and neck, but I just nodded a little bit.

The next morning I found myself sitting across from Lavi on a train headed back towards his headquarters. He had a big grin on his face and was obviously excited. He could hardly sit still, and, little did I know, I was in for a long session of storytelling. I didn't mind it much though. Lavi talked a lot, but at least it kept my mind off of everything happening to me. If it weren't for his distractions, I think I probably would have snapped. Lavi was the first friend I'd had since I was a child, and it would only be a matter of time before he was much more than that to me.


	2. Welcome to the Black Order

My first impression of headquarters was frightening. It was a very tall building made of layers on top of a high narrow cliff. It seemed to sit in the sky like some sort of ominous beacon. I couldn't help but look up at the building with a look of panic on my face. My expression obviously didn't go unmissed by the ever-so observant Bookman Jr. as he rested his hand on my shoulder. I jumped as I looked over at him, but he just smiled.

"Relax, okay? I know it's a lot to take in, but it's not so bad," he said encouragingly. I didn't say anything, but I felt my face intensify as I nodded. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of being nervous. The shrill breeze blowing my hair around and the sound of fluttering wings did not ease my nerves at all. I looked around to see small black bat-like golems flittering around in the air. I'd never seen a golem at that point, so I just didn't know what to think other than that they were really creeping me out. It wasn't long until Lavi and I were standing in front of a door ornamented with a large stone face. I looked up at the face and blinked curiously.

Suddenly, the face sprung to life and craned down. Its eyes bulged as it stared down at me. I fell backwards with a loud embarrassing squeak before landing on my rear end.

"Eh, I probably should have warned you about that," Lavi said with a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.

"X-ray examination! Determining if the subject is akuma or human!" the face said in a deep dutiful tone. I remained where I was sitting on the ground as I stared up at the face in utter bewilderment. I didn't know what else to do. The next thing I knew, I was engulfed in a bright golden light. I would have thought such a glowing light would have been warm, but it didn't have a feel to it. I still just felt the cool thin air blowing around me. A few moments passed before the light retreated into the face's eyes.

"Human!" it declared.

"Thanks, Gatekeeper!" Lavi said as he extended a hand to me. I must have looked pretty frazzled as I reached out and took it. He gave a firm tug and I was up on my feet as he clapped his other hand along my back before moving it in a circular motion followed by a light squeeze of my shoulder. "That wasn't so bad, huh?" he said with a chuckle. I could feel my eyes grow wide with exasperated sarcasm.

"I guess not," I breathed as the doors opened and we made our way into the building. Not a moment after we entered the rather coldly decorated hall, the doors fell closed behind us. I turned to look at them. Suddenly, I felt trapped. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not since I'd be calling this place my new home. When I turned back around, I nearly jumped out of my skin again as a girl with long green pigtails seemingly solidified in front of us.

"Lavi, you didn't tell us you were bringing anyone back to the Order," she said with a frown. Lavi's green eye landed nervously on the clipboard she held in her arms. At this, I raised my eyebrow. What was there to fear about a clipboard?

"Ah, I'm sorry, Lenalee. It's just that I found Emi here along with some Innocence that was reacting to her. I brought her here for evaluation to see if she could become an exorcist," he explained.

"Oh!" Lenalee replied in surprise. Then she smiled and a small girlish giggle bubbled in her throat. "I'm sorry; this just isn't how we usually go about recruiting new exorcists. Generals usually do the recruiting, but in the event that an exorcist is found by anyone else, they're given instructions and come along by themselves for their evaluations. Finding this place is sort of part of the recruitment process," she explained, shooting Lavi a curt glance. "I'm sorry for being so rude. I'm Lenalee Lee, assistant to the supervisor, and you're Emi?" she asked, that charming smile on her face. I just blinked my amber-colored eyes at her. She must be one of those girls that everyone is fond of, I had to think. Shaking myself back to reality, I nodded quickly.

"Er, yes, Emiko Lazzarani, but calling me 'Emi' is just fine," I said, an anxious smile spreading across my own face.

"Well that's an interesting name," she said cheerfully. "Your first name is Japanese, if I'm not mistaken, and your last name sounds Italian," she added observantly.

"I come from a mixed family," I said, not sure if I should be glad she noticed that about me or not.

"Sometimes I wish I came from a mixed family, but my brother and I are about as Chinese as it gets. Speaking of my brother, we should probably get moving. He'll want to meet with you right away," she finished. She turned on her heel and began to walk down the hallway. Lavi moved to follow her and I did the same. She went on to talk about the different types of people that I would be meeting around the order if I was, in fact, eligible to become an exorcist. That made me uncomfortable. I didn't know at the time that there was a chance that I might not get the job, so to speak.

It didn't take long for the man with the medium-length indigo hair and glasses to meet up with us. He had to be over ten years older than Lenalee, who was just a teenager. Was this man really her brother?

"Emi, this is my brother and the Supervisor of Science for the Order, Komui Lee," Lenalee said happily.

"Oooh! Hello, Emi, was it? It's very nice to meet you! Welcome to headquarters! Hopefully you'll be calling this place home soon just like the rest of us!" he said quickly and with much zeal. Komui wasn't at all what I expected. I didn't' expect his flowery personality or the sky blue coffee mug ordained with a pink rabbit on it. When I saw that, I just tilted my head in confusion. I head Lavi stifle a laugh next to me.

"You'll get used to him," he said so that I would be the only one to hear him. "Everyone around here is pretty unique," he added. I didn't get any words out before Komui went on talking.

"First we'll have to do a small physical examinations and then we'll have to evaluate your compatibility with your innocence. I'm going to assume your an equip type and not a parasitic type. Do you have the weapon your Innocence is bonded to with you? You're a lucky one; I can examine your weapon without it being painful for you! Although, it isn't quite as fun with you equip types," he added, sounding rather put off. I just blinked, unsure of what else to do. I just dug into my pocket and held out my brass knuckles to him.

Komui took my weapon form me and held it up to the light. "Interesting," he hummed to himself as we stepped into a small infirmary room. "Take a seat," we said, waving dismissively at me as he continued to look at my brass knuckles.

"Good luck! See you soon!" Lenalee chirped before closing the door. That left me alone with Komui and Lavi.

"I'll stick around if ya want," Lavi said with a smile. I just nodded. For some reason, I was having a hard time finding my voice. I had never left my village before, so all of the change in my routine was a little overwhelming. Lavi was the only thing really familiar to me and I didn't want him leaving my side.

"Well, the Head Nurse will be in soon to do your physical since it just wouldn't be proper for me to do it myself. I'm going to take your weapon down to the lab to get some work done to it, but that will be after we go through the other half of your examination. If you're synchro-ratio is high enough, we'll be able to make this weapon much more efficient. Lavi, let's step out for a moment while her physical is preformed," Komui went on and on. I had no idea when that man had time to breathe.

"Right," Lavi nodded. "I'll be right outside this door if you need me. Just holler," he said, giving me a small salute as he shut the door behind him. Not a second later, a rather old woman came bustling into the room. I just blinked at her, as I didn't know what else to do. Blinking seemed like all I really could do throughout this entire process.

"You're the new girl, then?" the old woman said to me. I just nodded. "Well, you've got a voice don't you? What's your name?" she inquired.

"E-Emi Lazzarani," I repeated routinely.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Lazzarani," she said with a nod as she slipped on her rubber gloves. "Take a seat, please," she said, gesturing towards the small hospital cot. I did as I was told. For some reason, she didn't seem like the type of woman I wanted to cross hairs with. There was a scary undertone of authority to her. I could definitely tell she was a woman that took her job very seriously.

As I sat, she put her stethoscope to her ears and placed it on my back.

"Deep breaths," she said, and I complied. She moved the small speaker around my back and then to my chests. "Good, good," she said, lowing the device from her ears as she flipped on a small light. She grabbed my head and tilted it so that she could see into my ears. "All normal," she murmured to herself. Then, she had a small flat wooden stick. "Open and say 'ah,'" she went on. I opened my mouth and made the sound requested of me. When that was complete, she took my height, age, weight, blood pressure, and all of my other vitals. After asking me about my heath history, she deemed me healthy and sent me on my way. "It was nice meeting you, dear. Don't be offended when I say I hope that we don't have to get much more acquainted," she said with a smile.

I soon found myself standing on an odd platform along with Komui and Lavi. I looked around with worry all over my face and I found that my fingers felt cold. We were descending into a long dark shaft. Lavi squeezed my shoulder again, but there really wasn't any conversation until we reached the bottom. I looked up to see several throne-like chairs.

"Those are our Commanders-in-Chief," Komui said as a short explanation. "It's time for you to show them your worth," he added. He handed me my brass knuckles and I just looked down on them. I certainly was not prepared for what happened next.

I barely saw the glowing white light before I felt cool hands grip my shoulders. I let out a small gasp of surprise before I found myself being lifted off of the platform and into the air. As that happened, a long white scarf of flesh wrapped around my midsection.

"Lavi!" I said with alarm. I tried to reach out for him, but he just had his hands in his pockets. My eyes quivered in their sockets as I looked down at him. How could he be so casual when I felt I was being attacked by a monster? Monster: that was my very thought before I even looked up to see what had me in its grasp. As smoky white tendrils wrapped around my limbs, I looked up to see that the being that had me was as large as a three-story building. It had the face of a woman but its eyes were covered is if her hairline began around her nose and mouth. "What's going on!" I demanded with my voice much higher than it was when I was calm. I was terrified. It was embarrassing, I knew, but I couldn't help my reaction to what I was seeing. I had never seen anything like it before.

The tendrils began to poke and prod around me and one found its way to my weapon.

"I-Innocence," the ghostly voice echoed about me. I felt chills all over my body as if some sort of unseen force was searching for something via my veins.

"Well, Hevlaska, how's she looking?" I heard Komui ask.

The creature turned me so that my face was looking up at hers. I felt my lungs collapse in my chest. I was so sure my heart was on the burst of exploding. I remember squeezing my eyes shut because they started to burn, and that burning sensation was so annoying. I didn't register that I wanted to cry. I only knew that my eyes just needed to be closed, and then I heard myself whimper.

"Calm yourself, I am not going to harm you," the ghostly voice resonated again. Then, I felt something tenderly land on my forehead. My eyes snapped open and I found that Hevlaska has placed the tip of her nose to my head. I wish a second later that I had kept my eyes closed as a blinding light erupted from the connection point.

"Three percent... Seventeen percent... Twenty-nine percent... Forty-seven percent... Sixty-two percent... Seventy-eight percent... It seems that seventy-eight percent is the maximum synchro-ratio you get with your weapon," she said, breaking the connection. The light faded away and I opened my eyes again.

"I-is that bad?" I asked nervously.

"The synchro-ratio is a numeric reading for the lifeline of your anti-akuma weapon activation. The highest the percentage, the easier it is for you to activate your weapon. A higher percentage also means that the wielder is less likely to be harmed during activation. I did not mean to invoke fear into you, I only needed to become familiar with your Innocence," she explained, slowly putting me back down on the platform. Lavi was immediately there with his hand on my upper back. It felt good to have my feet on the ground. I had never really been a fan of heights as it was, let alone being startled by a large glowing ghost woman.

"So, then, seventy-eight percent is an alright number?" I questioned.

"It is a safe number, yes, but you must get to know it better as time goes on. With your current synchro-ratio, you will have little to no difficulty activating your anti-akuma weapon. However, you will find it tiresome to keep your activation strong throughout the strain of battle. Train hard, Emiko Lazzarani," Hevlaska cautioned.

At that point, I didn't even think to ask about what Innocence really was or the reasons behind the Order's establishment. I already knew the gist of things. Innocence was a force that gave certain individuals the power to exorcise akuma. Akuma, as legend had it, were living weapons with a human soul tired to them that acted as a battery. There was a lot more tied into all that, but I knew what I needed to for the moment. I would find myself thinking about it all later on and start to ask questions, but I was so overwhelmed at that moment that my brain couldn't take anymore than it already had. I did learn, however, that Hevlaska came to the order and had been there for hundreds of years already guarding the Innocence pieces that they had collected over time. Total, there are one hundred and nine pieces of Innocence throughout the world; Hevlaska was guarding just over forty.

"It's your duty to fight and gather Innocence, so let's do our best. This is going to be your life from now on," Komui said to me. His words were deep and hit my soul pretty hard. My life hadn't ever really had a purpose before, and the look on my face must have translated my thoughts.

"It's really not as bad as it sounds," Lavi said in my ear. I looked up at him and forced a weak smile onto my face.

"Well, that hardest part is over! All that's left is for me and the others in the science department to modify your weapon so that it's easier for you to handle!" Komui chimed in. I nodded and handed him my brass knuckles. "You're welcome to stop by the science department and meet everyone, if you'd like. There's always someone up and working there so if you ever get lonely, don't hesitate to stop by!"

"Good! I'm glad this is over! Let's go eat! You need to meet everyone else anyways," Lavi said, giving my back a light slap again. I blinked and felt frazzled again. More people? Lucky for me, when we got to the cafeteria it was nearly empty aside from different people that worked in the different departments. All of the other exorcists were gone on missions. I did, however, get to meet Jerry. I didn't know what to think about him at first, but once I tasted his cooking, I decided that the excitable flamboyant tan man was completely okay.

I didn't know what to pick, though, because I hadn't even realized I was hungry and, since I was never any sort of cook, I was accustomed to eating simple, bland food. Lavi decided that that was no way to live and ordered my food for me, which would become an every day, three times a day custom. After we ate, we found ourselves walking down the halls again as we headed towards where my new room would be.

"Aw, man, I can't believe everyone's gone. I don't even know where Gramps is," Lavi muttered. His arms were on the back of his neck, his elbows pointing towards the ceiling.

"It's okay, really!" I protested. "I think I need to ease into this a little more. My brain is starting to hurt. So much to take in at once, you know?" Lavi sighed and dropped his arms as he slouched over.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, looking towards me. Then, he perked up. "You know, I didn't notice how yellow your eyes were," he said blankly. I twitched slightly in surprise and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. Lavi just beamed at me. "I think I'll call ya 'Bright Eyes' from now on!" he decided happily.

"Eeeh," I breathed. I didn't know what to say or how I felt about that. Wasn't that a pet name, or did he just give everyone cutesy nick names like that? At my frazzled expression, he just laughed again.

"Don't look so serious all the time! Lighten up!" he advised. I took in a deep breath and tried to relax my shoulders a bit. My back hurt because I had been rather rigid all day and didn't even notice.

Finally, we came to one of the small metal doors and came to a stop. Lavi looked around and nodded. "I think this is your room," he said, patting the door as if it were some sort of prized horse. "That one there is mine and that one is Lenalee's," he added. He stopped and rubbed his chin as his visible eye scanned the row of doors. "That one over there is Kanda's room. I seriously advise steering clear from there and that's the only reason I pointed it out," he said, a rather mischievous and amused look playing on his face. He was planning something, I figured. It had to be a prank. That's the only thing I could figure. That Kanda figure must have been the grumpy type, and that didn't make me any bit excited to meet him.

Suddenly, I felt as if a wave of heat washed over me. My vision blurred slightly and my body felt very heavy.

"Lavi..." I murmured. He looked down at me with staggered curiosity.

"What is it? Are you feeling okay?" he asked urgently. I felt my eyes close halfway and I stepped forward towards the door, reaching for the handle.

"I'm... not gunna... make it," I uttered. The world began to spin and I stumbled forward. Lavi moved with great reflexes and caught me before my head bashed into the metal door. I'm sure he thought I fainted, but he must have realized that I had just fallen asleep. I can't really say what happened since I was unconscious, but he must have moved me into my room and tucked me in because, when I woke up later, I found myself hugging a large fluffy pillow in my dark room.

The moon was shining full and bright through my window. I looked around my room curiously just to get acquainted with the dark shapes. When I decided that I was comfortable, I rested my head back down. I thought about Lavi carrying me in to my bed and pulling my blankets up over me. My imagination got a little carried away as I dreamed about him kissing my forehead. I know it's dumb, but I fell back asleep soon with flushed cheeks and a silly grin on my face.


	3. The AntiAkuma Weapon

The next few days around the Order were very slow and very routine. It was mid-afternoon on my third day after arriving that Komui summoned me to the science department to pick up my new and improved anti-akuma weapon. I had already become acquainted with most of the science department since all of the exorcists were gone on missions and Lavi wanted to show me off to everyone. He seemed really proud to have found a new exorcist all on his own, at least, that's what I figured. I had no idea that he was really just boasting about bringing a girl to the Order. I hadn't noticed, but, other than the nurses and Lenalee, there weren't really any other women around.

So far I had met, Jerry, Reever, Johnny, Tapp, Russel, and Number 65. Reever was Komui's right-hand man in the science department. They seemed to be very good friends, even if Komui caused Reever a lot of strife from time to time. Johnny and Tapp were funny, in my opinion. They were really friendly and goofy, but they both worked very hard. Russel was always busy at his desk and didn't say much, but I found out that he had a wife and son at home, and I just didn't know what to think of Number 65.

When I walked into the lab, everyone immediately leaned in from all directions and stopped what they were doing to greet me. Lavi was, of course, at my sides. I still wasn't comfortable enough at headquarters yet to wander around by myself.

"Hello, Emi!" they all chimed. I just smiled politely and waved at all of them. I had to admit, their enthusiasm was admirable. They all seemed so busy all the time.

"Hi, guys!" I chirped back. "Where's Komui? He asked me to-" but before I could finish my sentence, an explosion erupted from the back of the lab where Komui's office was found. It seemed like I was the only one to really jump in alarm, and Lavi's hand landed on my shoulder. When I looked over at him, he had a halfhearted smile on his face.

"Easy, Bright Eyes," he cooed. "We are in the science lab, after all," he pointed out. I felt a little dumb and felt my form wilt a little bit. He had a point; I hadn't thought about that. Not a moment later, the door to Komui's office opened and a large column of smoke billowed out behind the man with indigo hair.

"Ah! Emi! Right on time!" Komui said in a singsong voice. "Right this way!" he added, waving me to follow along behind him, Lavi in my wake. "I hope you don't mind that we had to modify your brass knuckles. We actually sewed them onto gloves and made it so that they were only along the tops of your knuckles and not around your whole fingers, for comfort purposes, of course. There are some other modifications. The Innocence is actually quite interesting," he went on as we walked.

When we passed through several doors, we soon found ourselves in a large metal room that resembled some sort of arena. I looked around, my eyes wide with awe. I'd never seen such a high ceiling before. It was so high that I couldn't really see it very well. It was like a large shadow was just looming over us. I had been looking around and not paying much attention to Komui, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when I found the pair of fingerless gloves shoved into my face.

"Oh! Er, thanks!" I said awkwardly, taking the gloves as I felt my heart pound in my ears for a moment before it quieted. I took a moment to put the gloves on and held them up, flexing them. The actual weapons part fit comfortably over my knuckles and the black clothe breathed nicely, so they didn't feel hot on my hands. "So, what does my Innocence do? It can't be like Lavi's tessei," I mused out loud. Komui just gave me a borderline maniacal smirk.

"Just say, 'Innocence, activate!' and you'll see!" he cheered to himself. I raised an eyebrow at him in confusion and looked at Lavi who just shrugged. I was a little disgruntled by this because I've never been the type to enjoy surprises that weren't cute or delicious, but I still shook the droll stare off of my face and did as I was told.

I held my hand up in front of my face and stared at it intently for a moment. "Innocence, activate!" the words finally slithered from my lips. I almost jumped again when my hands burst into a ghostly green glow. When I looked over towards Komui and Lavi, they both looked at me as if this was supposed to happen, so I just went with it. The glow dulled significantly so that it was almost not noticeable anymore.

"Good, good," Komui continued musing. "Now try doing any form at all," he said.

I was still confused, but I took a stance and steadied my breath. I hadn't had to practice my forms in days which was something completely weird for me. I went through a few foot motions so I could get my grounding and then finally thrust a punch forward. I was not at all prepared for what happened next. I felt a sudden force pull me and I went flying like a super hero across the empty arena. The only thing that stopped me was when my knuckle connected with the wall nearly seventy-five feet away from where I had originally been standing. I think I might have screamed, but I know I closed my eyes. When they opened, I peeked up at the crack that weaved its way up towards the dark ceiling.

"Hey! That was awesome!" Lavi cheered back across the room.

"Wha...?" I breathed.

"Momentum," Komui said with a small knowing smile. "Your anti-akuma weapon has been named hayaite, meaning 'swift hands.'"

I pulled my fist away from the wall and just looked at it with the same awestruck look I had when we'd first arrived in the room. Then a curious thought struck me and I looked up towards that dark ceiling again. Without hesitation, I thrust my fist upward and went soaring. This time, I definitely heard the scream escape me. I hadn't really thought it through all the way. When my momentum slowed and gravity took its toll, I found myself falling back towards the ground which didn't help my screaming at all.

"Extend!" was all I heard. Suddenly I was dangling in the air. When I looked up, Lavi was sitting on the handle of his tessei and had be by the back of my shirt. I reached up and grabbed his arm and he lifted me up into his lap where I clung to him. Have I mentioned before that I wasn't really a fan of heights? The clinging didn't stop until I was safely back on the ground again.

"You could have reversed the momentum before you hit the ground, you know?" Lavi said. I had forgotten that he was a master problem-solver. "If you'd just punched toward the ground, you could have landed gracefully on your feet," he said with a smile as he patted the top of my head. "Not that I was complaining about your arms being around my neck or anything," he added teasingly.

I felt the blood rush to my face in embarrassment, but Lavi and Komui just chuckled about it.

"Maybe you should stay and train under Lavi's supervision. Have you gotten your uniform yet?" Komui asked. I just shook my head. "Ah, I'll have Lenalee send one to your room! Happy training!" he said, leaving me alone with my red-haired friend.

I rubbed my wrist and looked back towards the ceiling. I must have looked worried because Lavi sat down on the ground and patted next to him so that I'd sit, and I did.

"You doing okay?" he asked. I blinked in confusion.

"I'm fine, I was just scared because I didn't know it was going to go so high," I began to say, but he just shook his head.

"I mean with being here and becoming an exorcist. It's not freaking you out is it?"

"Oh," I said, face turning a dull pink as I rubbed the back of my head. I deactivated my Innocence because I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to hold it. Hevlaska told me that I had a pretty decent synchro-ratio, but I just didn't trust it quite yet. "I think I'm doing alright. It's not like I've had much to do yet, you know?" I said, trying my best to sound optimistic so he wouldn't worry.

"Good!" he beamed. "If you ever get homesick, let me know and I'll see if I can't work it out so we can go visit-"

"I don't ever want to go back there," I interrupted, which was very unlike me. Lavi even looked slightly taken aback by my sudden outburst. "S-sorry," I apologized. I felt my eyes widen in horror. I was never rude like that, but Lavi just gave me a gentle knowing smile. Ugh, why did he always have to be so understanding about everything? It made the butterflies in my stomach riot. I mean, I knew that I had a small crush on him, but it was that very moment that I realized that it was getting to be much bigger than that.

"Don't worry, Emi. I get it. I haven't been to my home town in a very long time, either. Gramps and I have been working for the order for two years already, and, before that, we've been wandering around doing the whole Bookman thing. The past two years have been the only thing anywhere close to having a stable home for me since I was really little. You can't really dwell on the past," he said.

"But, isn't that what you do?" I asked, blinking in confusion.

"What? As a Bookman? No, not at all. I help record history so people can know and learn from it, but not dwell on it and live there. It's okay to get nostalgic from time to time, but you've gotta keep moving forward," he said, turning to grin at me. Like I had been doing so often lately, I blushed again. He was right, and maybe that was why I didn't want to go back to my village. I hadn't even told my father I was leaving. He was going to return to a house that had burned to the ground and his wife and daughter would be missing, but part of me felt like he deserved that since he'd left us alone for so long.

I shook my father from my thoughts and looked down at my gloves again.

"They almost look like yours," I said, looking from my hands to his. He chortled.

"Almost," he agreed. "You don't really feel like training right now, do you?" he asked.

"No, these clothes aren't really ideal for training," I said, looking down at my khaki pants and white tank top.

"Then, let's go eat!" he cheered. I laughed at his enthusiasm and we both rose to our feet and left the training room behind us.

We arrived in the cafeteria and it was just as empty as ever. Jerry was so glad to see us that he even made us extra helpings that we didn't ask for. Lavi ordered us grilled meat on a stick, which seemed to be his favorite dish. I didn't mind it because, with all my physical training, the protein helped me stay toned. I ordered some fruit and a bowl of rice along with my food, though. Mandarin oranges are my favorite snack, so I always got them with either my lunch or my dinner. It wasn't until we were about half way through our meal when our routine was broken.

A tall figure suddenly appeared in the entrance of the cafeteria. When the shadow caught my eye, I looked up to see a Japanese guy about our age standing there with a scowl on his face. His long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his uniform seemed to resemble one of a samurai a little bit, but, of course, was standard black and white, like Lavi's uniform.

A hushed whisper spread across the cafeteria. It was only when Lenalee, who was getting herself a piece of chocolate cake, turned did things lighten up a bit.

"Oh! Kanda! Welcome home!" she said with a bright smile. The man, apparently named Kanda, just nodded to her and moved past her to get his own food. I cocked my head and blinked at the scowling man. I had to wonder what it was that was making him so unhappy. Everyone else around the Order was so bubbly. He seemed oddly out of place.

"Lavi, is Kanda another exorcist?" I asked, but when I looked over to where Lavi had been sitting, he was gone. Confused, I looked around for him onto to see him with his arm around Kanda's shoulder. I couldn't hear anything, but Lavi was apparently talking very quickly, as he often did, more than likely telling a story of some kind. Even from as far away as I was, I could see Kanda's body tense up at the contact. I felt my eyes shrink into my skull. My intuition told me that this situation was not going to end well!

Not a moment later than I thought that did Kanda unsheathe a sword and point it to Lavi's throat. Lavi jumped back and threw his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"Baka Usagi!" I heard Kanda growl. "Don't call me that!"

"Gah! Okay okay!" Lavi cried. Kanda stepped back and put his sword thing away and Lavi breathed a deep sigh. I was up on my feet as soon as the blade had appeared, but the way the others in the cafeteria reacted, it seemed that the threat on Lavi's life was not a surprise at all. "You really need to lighten up! I want you to come meet Emi! She's a new exorcist!" he said, gesturing towards me.

Those cold black eyes glanced in my direction and made contact with my own golden brown eyes. I felt myself flinch and a wave of cold washed over me. He held the contact for a moment and then seemingly rolled his eyes.

"Che," was the only sound that met my ears before Kanda turned and continued to order his food. Really, he didn't say anything. Jerry already had Kanda's food ready before he even asked for it. Lavi pouted.

"Yuu, be nicer!" he whined. Kanda shot him another deadly look and he recoiled. "It slipped!" he cried quickly before hurrying back to me. "Sorry about him, he's always cranky like that. Some people just don't know how to take a joke," he laughed uneasily as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, he seems like a real friendly guy," I said sarcastically.

"Ah, he's not so bad! You can't let his attitude get to ya. He's pretty much the top exorcist around here. He trains all the time and he's even the first guy they call for security purposes," Lavi explained. I nodded and looked back over towards the Japanese exorcist. He was sitting alone eating his food with his eyes closed. Lavi could tell me all he wanted that Kanda was a nice guy, but I sure as heck wasn't about to go over and try and strike up conversation. "He's nicer to girls, anyway. Lenalee never has a problem with him, but that could just be that clipboard of hers," he added. I had learned over the past three days the reason why Lavi had been eying Lenalee's clipboard so wearily my first day at headquarters. She used it as a paddle to keep people in line. If you mouthed off or got out of hand, it was to be expected that that clipboard would find itself across the back of your skull.

The rest of the day went back to normal, or what I knew as normal at that point. Lavi helped me train some with my new weapon and then I left him for a while so I could get a shower and meet back up with him for dinner. Kanda was there again, eating by himself just as he had at lunch. I didn't eat as much at dinner, which was odd to me. I usually ate more after training, and I did feel really hungry, but after I started getting food down, I got full really fast. I knew I was going to be hungry later, so I got a few apples to take to my room with me for later. Jerry also surprised me with a box of cookies that someone, I have no idea who, told him were my favorite. They were snicker doodles, sugar cookies with cinnamon sprinkled on them. I was delighted by this! I nibbled on one and took the rest to my room.

It was a little odd for me to go back to my room by myself because Lavi and I usually spent the evenings wandering around while he tormented people and I liked to play chess with Johnny in the science lab if he wasn't busy. Since I had to take my snacks back, though, I found myself standing there alone staring into my mirror.

I blinked at my reflection for a moment before I stuck my tongue out. Then, as if there was someone else in my room, I looked around in embarrassment, but I just found myself alone again. Looking back into my mirror, I tussled my hair a bit and removed the ponytail. My curls immediately sprung everywhere which only made my eyes grow into an exasperated look.

"I look like a witch," I mumbled to myself. Then, I wrinkled my nose and tried to look as evil as possible. The silly faces just continued to come and go until I realized what I was doing. A soft laugh escaped me. I hadn't made faces at myself like that since I was small. Shaking my head, I put my hair back up and nibbled on another cookie. Then, a sudden calm feeling washed over me and I looked back up at the girl in the mirror.

Inside of my head, I heard Lavi's voice echo my nickname again. _Bright Eyes_. I just blinked. My fingers ran down the side of my face. I wondered if I was the type of girl that Lavi really considered to be pretty. I really had no idea what sort of girls he liked, and I suddenly felt a little panicked. How was I ever going to find out? Maybe Lenalee knew, but then again, I didn't want to go around being creepy and asking about it. I frowned and looked down, fiddling with my own fingers.

A knock sounded at my door and I looked up in surprise. It was already getting kind of late so I wasn't quite sure who to expect. When I wandered over and cracked the door open, a bright violet flower was shoved into my face. I recoiled so I could see it and looked up to see Lavi grinning down at me.

"I thought you could use something pretty in your room since everything is pretty much metal and stone and I know you really like the outdoors," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he often did. I took the flower and looked down at it. Before I could stop myself, I kicked the door out of the way and flung forward. My arms wrapped around Lavi's mid-section and I felt his arms spring up as he contemplated what to do for a moment. Like always, though, he returned my hug.

"Lavi! I'm so glad I have a friend like you!" I said. I hadn't really noticed until that moment, but I had been a little stressed about moving to the Order. It was a lot of change to deal with, and, even though I had said I was fine, Lavi had picked up on the fact that I really wasn't. It was such a small gesture but it really meant the world to me.

"Che," I heard again. Both Lavi and I turned out heads to see Kanda staring at us in the hall. His arms were crossed and he didn't look the least bit amused. Embarrassed, I quickly pulled away from Lavi and felt myself fold in on myself. Lavi looked at me and back to Kanda, who just stomped by and headed towards his own room.

"I wonder what all that was about," Lavi pondered out loud. My face was burning red, and I could feel it.

"I... I don't know," I said, rubbing my arm. "I'm going to sleep before I over exhaust myself again. Thank you for the flower, Lavi," I said, looking up at him with a weak smile.

"Goodnight, Bright Eyes," he said, giving me a small wave as my door closed. My heart was pounding in my chest. I don't know why I felt so dumb all of the sudden. At that instant, all that I could see in my head were Kanda's dark intense eyes.


	4. Eavesdropper

Somehow I'd slept in later than I meant to. It was after 11:00am when a soft knock on my bedroom door woke me up the next way. I had been floating through my dreams when the knock sounded in the distance and I almost mistook the sound for an effect in my alternate world. When I heard it the second time, I woke with a start and jolted upright in my bed. My wavy hair was a matted nest atop my head. As I blinked the sleep from my eyes, I made a futile attempt to flatten my hair as I swung my feet over the side of my bed and marched barefoot across the floor, my blanket clinging to me until it couldn't stretch any farther. When my door opened and I stared groggily out into the hall, I found Lenalee standing there with a big bright smile spread across her face. She was obviously more of a morning person than I was.

"Oh! I didn't mean to wake you up, Emi. It's just that my brother wanted me to bring you your uniform," she said apologetically as she held out a stack of folded clothes with a pair of boots on top. I pushed my door farther open to invite her in and waved off her apology dismissively.

"Oh, no! It's really okay! I needed to get up anyway. I can't believe that Lavi didn't come wake me up. He's usually pretty good about all that," I said, rubbing the back of my head in confusion as Lenalee entered my room. She walked over and put the clothes down on the dresser next to my bed and looked around my room.

"Wow, you're very neat!" she said, sounding impressed. "Most of the guys here have a hard time keeping their rooms clean, except for Kanda. His room is always spotless. Then again, he goes on a lot of missions so he's really not here most of the time, and when he is, he finds plenty of work to keep himself busy. Go ahead and try on your uniform! I'm excited to see how it looks on you!" If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed Lenalee was excited to have another girl hanging around headquarters. The guys were nice and all, but Lavi had told me that Lenalee pretty much grew up in the Order. Thinking back on it, both of us probably had really lonely childhoods.

"Er, alright," I stammered slightly. She'd said a lot in a very short amount of time. I didn't know that that was how a normal girl acted because I didn't act that way. Then again, I didn't have a brother like Komui to look after me. I'm sure Ren would have been a lot like Komui had he had the chance. Well, maybe not. The age difference between Komui and Lenalee made Komui much nicer of a brother than Ren was to me. I could never picture Komui teasing his sister or calling her a cry baby, but I still believe that if Ren had gotten older, he would have been great.

I didn't want to sit and think about my brother because I knew it would have made me sad, and I knew that Lenalee would have wanted to know why. The people at headquarters, the ones that needed to know anyways, knew the story of my mother and how she'd turned Ren into an akuma, so no one really pressed me to talk about it. Instead, I gathered the stack of clothes and made my way into the small washroom connected to my bedroom.

It really didn't take long for me to shed off my pajamas and slip into my uniform. The white pants were slightly loose and easy to move around in, but snug enough to be comfortable and not baggy. The shirt was black and had long sleeves with white trim here and there. The collar was small and stood upright around my neck. Down the center was a long thick zipper with white trim to one side of it. The shirt also had white shoulder pads and the silver insignia of the Order. I then slipped on the boots which were thick durable leather with a thick black strap across the top of my foot and another one at the top where the boots stopped just under my knee caps. There was also a practical zipper up the inside of the leg that made the boots easier to take on and off.

While I was in the washroom I also decided to tame my hair into its usual low ponytail. I looked at my reflection and my jaw fell slack. I really looked like an exorcist now. I looked tough and confident all the sudden. I was amazed, for lack of a better word. Even with my odd blonde streak in my dark hair and my honey-colored eyes. An awkward smirk spread across my pale face in the mirror before I exited back into my room. When I heard the gasp come from Lenalee, I felt my face flush pink.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "Johnny and Tapp have outdone themselves this time!" she said happily, clapping her hands together in front of her out of sheer joy.

"What? They really designed this uniform?" I asked, blinking with a dumbfounded look on my face.

"Yup! They make all of our uniforms. They're pretty good at guessing the type of clothes people like," she smiled.

"Who would have thought?" I asked with an impressed nod. Johnny and Tapp were so... nerdy, for lack of a better word again. I definitely wouldn't have pegged them for the type to know anything about clothing or fashion design.  
Lenalee giggled a little, as if she had read my mind. I moved over to my nightstand and opened the drawer to pull out my hayaite. I stilled the gloves on and flexed my fingers.

"Well, you look great! And official!" she said as I turned to look at myself in my full-length mirror. I just smiled back at her.  
"Thanks, and I got this just at the right time. I think I'm finally starting to feel at home here. Now I can blend in, too," I joked. "Say, have you seen Lavi today?" I asked suddenly. Lenalee just laughed some more. "What?" I asked in confusion.

"Lavi has been acting a bit out of character lately," she began to explain. "He's usually never awake before lunch! You seem like you're more a morning person, so he's been waking up in time for breakfast every day to keep you company!" I blinked in surprise before I frowned.

"Well, he didn't need to do all that. I didn't mean to make him go out of his way to make me feel better," I said, rubbing one of my arms as my eyes fell to the floor.

"Well, that's just how Lavi is! There's no reason to look so down. He's just a really good friend. I can't think of a time where he's ever let me down when I've needed him. He's even been there for Kanda, even if Kanda won't ever admit he needed Lavi's help," she laughed more. I forced my frown to go away, but I still didn't smile. I hadn't realized I was putting that sort of pressure on that silly boy with the eye patch. "Hey, I'm sure he'll meet you for lunch! It is kind of late in the day, after all," she said encouragingly. I nodded again and, as if on cue, my stomach growled.

"You're probably right!" I said, trying to be optimistic. That's how I usually was. Even when things were horrible, I always tried to find the silver lining. "I really shouldn't count on him to escort me around all the time anyways. This is my home now, so I need to treat it as such! I'm starving! I don't usually sleep through breakfast like I did. I don't know why I was so tired!"

"It's probably because your synchro-ratio isn't as high as it could be. It'll go up with training, but for now, using your Innocence might make you a little tired," Lenalee explained. Of course, I had completely forgotten that little detail.

"I guess now that I have my uniform I don't really have an excuse not to train anymore," I said thoughtfully.

"Oh! I almost forgot! After lunch, my brother wanted to talk with you. Since you've got your uniform and your weapon now, you've got to train under one of our generals for a while until you're experienced enough to go on solo missions. I wonder which general you'll be paired with!" She sounded excited, but I hadn't been told anything about a general and didn't even really know what they were, but I chose not to ask. I was hungry and I was missing my red-haired friend. I figured that I'd just find out when I went to talk with Komui.

Lenalee and I made out way to the cafeteria, but there was no sign of Lavi there. I thought about waiting for him to show up, but my stomach protested, so I went up to Jerry's window and opened my mouth to order my food. Then I realized that I didn't know what I wanted to eat. I never knew what I wanted to eat. Lavi always picked something for me. So I closed my mouth, looking somewhat crestfallen. Jerry blinked at me- at least I think he did behind his sunglasses. He was nice enough to just make me something, and I took it to a table and sat down alone.

Johnny and Tapp stopped by my table and I thanked them for the uniform and made small talk while I tried to eat my food. Part of me was really nervous, though. There still wasn't any sign of Lavi anywhere. Being somewhat neurotic, I began to wonder if that weird look Kanda gave us the night before had made Lavi realize he shouldn't be spending so much time with me, but I quickly shook those thoughts away and ate my food. I said goodbye to my friends from the science department and decided that I'd just go and speak with Komui. I felt so awkward sitting around without Lavi by my side...

It was when I was passing random rooms that I heard that familiar accent through one of the doors.

"Take it easy, Gramps!" I heard Lavi say in a muffled voice through the steel door.

"You just never know when enough is enough, idiot!" replied the voice of an old man.

"Hey, now! No need to get all uptight on me now! I think I'm old enough to start making some of my own decisions, don't you think?" Lavi protested. They were arguing about something. I'm normally not the nosy type, but for some reason, my feet were frozen in place. I felt my breathing slow as I listened to them continue on.

"You think you are? You're making a fool's mistake! Have you forgotten your role as a Bookman!" the old man demanded.

"Naw, I'm pretty sure you've burned that one into my mind, Panda-" The words were followed by a loud crashing sound. My guess was whoever it was Lavi was arguing with was really letting him have it. Lavi yelped and then started yelling. "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!" he roared.

"You obviously need some sense knocked into you! You're no where near ready to take my place in the Bookman line! How can you be unbiased towards anything if all you care about is chasing skirts!"

"I'm not chasing skirts! Emi's just new here, and I'm the one who dragged her here. I'm only trying to make sure she gets adjusted alright. That's it," Lavi spat back. His voice was cold, though, and his words made my heart sink into my stomach.

"Well, whatever it is you're doing is obviously overkill. Choosing her meals for her, following her around... I heard you've even carried her to her bed a few times. You need to distance yourself! These people are not our friends, Lavi. We do not have friends. We're only here to document this war against the Earl."

"Well, we've been here forever. Nothing's really happened other than we've gathered some shards of Innocence here and there." Lavi sounded bored.

"I'm just warning you now, Lavi. You cannot get too close to that girl," the old man replied in a very serious voice.

"As if I would. You've got nothin' to worry about, Gramps." With that, the door opened and I quickly moved to make it look like I was just happening by. I couldn't help look slightly flustered though. I felt extremely heart broken. Lavi had been lying all along about being my friend! And there I was thinking that I could have possibly been... I don't know, just crushing on him, I guess! I wanted to run away and cry, but I swallowed my pain and forced a smile onto my face. Lavi looked surprised to see me, but he did the same as I did and we were standing there grinning at each other with false happiness.

"Emi! I didn't expect to see you here!" he beamed.

"Oh, yeah, I, er, was on my way to see Komui," I said, pointing in the direction of the science department.

"Ah, I need to go talk to him, too, actually. Did you eat lunch? I'm really sorry I didn't come by your room- hey! Your uniform looks great!" he said, just noticing that I wasn't in my normal white shirt and khaki pants.

"Yeah, Lenalee brought it by this morning," I said, looking down at myself. It was getting harder to hide my pain with every word that escaped me, and I could tell that it was showing on my face. I pressed my lips tightly together just as the old man emerged behind Lavi. He was a short man, nothing like I expected. He was mostly bald aside from the hair atop his head that looked like rising smoke, and he had large black rings painted around his eyes, which would explain why Lavi had been calling him panda.

"Emi, this is my grandpa. Gramps, this is Emi," Lavi said in an awkward introduction.

"Just call me Bookman," the old man replied. His tiny eyes scanned me over as if he were trying to decide what to think of me. I tried really hard not to wrinkle my nose, but I nodded. Lavi interjected.

"She's kind of shy. Come on, Emi. Let's go talk to Komui. Later, Gramps!" he said, wrapping one arm around my shoulders to guide me away from the cranky old man while he tossed the other one into the air in a half hearted wave. At that moment, I really didn't want his arm around me. It didn't feel right, not if he really didn't care about me at all like he'd told Bookman. I just walked in silence, staring at the ground as we went. For some reason, Lavi didn't say much either. I think he might have realized that I'd heard what he'd said.

The next thing I knew we were inside of Komui's paper-covered office standing in front of his desk. He sat there sipping coffee from his blue mug with the pink rabbit on it. I'd been there for several days now and I still couldn't get passed the fact that our leader, or whatever it is you'd call him, drank his coffee out of a cup that looked like it belonged to a teenaged girl.

"Ah, hello Lavi; Emi! I trust you two have had a good day so far?" Komui asked, sounding almost as cheerful as his little sister. Lavi and I both just nodded in silence. "Good, good. Well, as you both must know, all new exorcists are assigned to train with one of the generals for a while. Generals," Komui went on, directing his words towards me, "are our most powerful exorcists. They'll teach you everything you need to know. When they decide that you've learned all you can, you'll be free to go on missions alone or with other exorcists. Since General Tiedoll has reported to us most recently, Emi, you'll be going with Kanda to find him and train under his watch."

"Kanda!" I exclaimed in shock. The hurt that I had been feeling from Lavi's words vanished and now panic rose within my body. "But he's so... so..." I began to try to find the right word. I was too proud to use the word scary, so I reached for the next best thing. "Intolerable," I finished, forcing an annoyed scowl on my face. Both Komui and Lavi chuckled at me again.

"Kanda was the last pupil that Tiedoll trained, so he's best suited to take you there. Not to mention, he needs to be reminded sometimes that he's just a man. Kanda gets far too obsessed with his missions sometimes, but he is the best exorcist we have here at headquarters. He'll be able to look after you until you find Tiedoll."  
"So you don't know where he is?" I asked in disbelief.

"Not exactly. They report in but we never really know their exact position. It's sort of their job to keep moving," Komui said with a smile.

"And what about me?" Lavi asked, taking the opportunity to speak up as he pointed a gloved hand at himself.

"Ah, you will be going along as well to perform your Bookman duties. You've been sitting idle at headquarters too long and I think you'll be more likely to find interesting things to document in the company of an active general," Komui explained.

Like clockwork, I sat across from Kanda on the train. Lavi was sitting to my right; I was in the window seat. I wasn't thrilled about being with the two of them at that moment. I wanted to be alone. I sat with my chin propped up in my hand and my light eyes stared out of the window at nothing. The scenery flew by, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I could feel Kanda staring at me. I didn't know or care what he was thinking. I just wanted him to stop. Lavi looked from Kanda and then to me, and repeated the action a few times.

"MAN!" he yawned suddenly. "It's too quite. I'm sooo bored! Yuu, why don't you tell me a story," Lavi requested. I could hear the sarcasm in his voice as he propped his hands on the back of his head and sunk back into his seat with a smirk.

"Baka Usagi! Don't call me that!" Kanda growled. At least his eyes were off of me now. I think he was probably trying to size me up. It wasn't like he knew much about my abilities or anything yet. If he was anything like most men, he was skeptical of me anyways just because I was a girl.

"Aw, c'mon! We're friends, aren't we? Can't we just get passed the name thing? You gotta admit you love me just a little bit!" Lavi continued to tease. I could almost here Kanda grind his teeth in anger.

"Like I would ever befriend such a disrespectful idiot like you!" he protested.

At that point, though, I didn't find the teasing or bickering the least bit amusing. In fact, I found myself really annoyed. I didn't like Kanda at that point and Lavi had really hurt my feelings. I didn't know what to think about either of them. I impatiently rose to my feet, my gloved hands clenched into fists at my side. Both of them fell silent. Kanda's face was void of emotion, but Lavi looked flustered and confused.

"Hey, Bright Eyes. Where you headed?" he asked.

"Bathroom. And stop calling me that," I said, giving him a face that could almost rival Kanda's. I could feel that my eyes lacked almost any emotion and my lips were not smiling or frowning. They were in a straight line. Lavi looked even more confused and, as I walked away, I saw his body wilt out of the corner of my eye. I knew that he understood why I was mad. I didn't go to the bathroom. Instead, I wandered to the small opening at the back of the train and stood outside for a little while. The blue sky was ornamented with dull gray clouds. The sky itself almost reflected how I felt. I almost wish I hadn't walked by that room when I did. I would have been so much happier being oblivious. At least I knew my heart wouldn't ache as much as it did...

I stood outside on the back of our train car for at least half an hour before I came back. Neither boy commented on the fact that I had been in the "bathroom" for a very long time. Kanda sat with his hands neatly folded in his lap with his eyes closed. My guess was that he was meditating. Lavi sat with a frown pressed against his face. He was slouched down very low and I almost had to hop to get over his knees. His headband was pulled down around his neck so his hair was down and covering his eyes. I couldn't tell if he was awake or not, but I didn't care at that moment. Instead, I brought my bag up and leaned it against my shoulder to use as a pillow and closed my eyes. The whole train ride was long and uncomfortable for everyone, but it really couldn't be helped, I think.


	5. Reconciliation

I woke up to the sound of a loud crash and Kanda's growling voice. My dreams had been unsettling and I could still see the image of my childhood home burning to the ground as the akuma with my mother's face hovered above it, even as I was looking at Kanda standing with his samurai sword pointed at Lavi's face. Lavi was laying on his back on the ground looking pretty startled. It took me a moment to realize that half of Kanda's long navy blue hair had been braided. When I really took the scene in, I felt my eyebrows twitch a little in annoyance.

"Baka!" Kanda seethed through his teeth. "How dare you touch me!"

"H-hey now, Yuu! Just calm down!" Lavi began to plead as the sword inched closer to the tip of his nose.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Kanda yelled causing both Lavi and I to flinch.

"AH! O-okay! I'm sorry! Just take it easy!" the redhead continued to beg as melodramatic tears formed at the corner of his eye that lacked a patch.

"How many times to I have to tell you to NEVER touch me!" Kanda demanded.

"B-but both of you were asleep and I was just so bored!" Lavi cried, his tears erupting from the sides of his head as if his tear ducts had turned into massive hoses.

I felt myself completely losing my patience. Normally I would be in a completely fine mood after just waking up. However, due to the circumstances I found myself in and how completely angry and hurt I felt over what I'd heard Lavi say to Bookman about me, the alarm clock of bickering only made my anger worse.

"Will both of you just shut it!" I blurted. Lavi's tears immediately stopped as he looked at me in surprise and Kanda rounded on me with a deadly look in his eye, but I just scowled back at him. "Put your sword away! Are you really going to threaten his life every time he does something annoying? That's a lot of wasted breath because, if you haven't noticed by now, he doesn't care about your feelings!" As I said that last part, my golden brown eyes shifted from Kanda to Lavi and my glare intensified. His confused look then gained a hint of hurt to it, and it was that very moment that I think I clarified to Lavi that I'd definitely heard him say that he didn't care about me in any way, shape, or form.

Before Kanda could make his retort, the train finally lurched to a halt. As all of the passengers began to shift around for their baggage, the entire situation between my companions and I seemed to defuse a bit, but there was still a strong tension in the air. Of course that wouldn't go away. Lavi and I had our problems going on and Kanda was annoyed with Lavi and mad at me for challenging his authority in a way, at least that's what I figured. I think my verbal bucking probably stung his pride a bit.

We'd arrived at the station in France where we would be traveling by foot from there on out. General Tiedoll was wandering the countryside somewhere in the area the last time anyone had heard from him. The word was that the older man was a fan of beautiful scenery and was always looking for something lovely to paint. I had to admit, even with my bad mood, Tiedoll sounded like a very interesting person and I was looking forward to meeting him. Lenalee told me what a nice man he was before we left. I think she thought I was nervous about meeting one of the most powerful exorcists known to the Order. Really, though, I was so hurt by Lavi and annoyed that I had to travel with Kanda that I hadn't even thought about being nervous about meeting a general.

It was dark outside when we finally arrived at the inn. When the young woman working at the desk greeted us, Kanda wasted no time getting past formalities and straight to business.

"We had a reservation for three rooms paid for by the Black Order," he said sounding rather official. The girl blinked up at him and, like most people, let out a nervous laugh.

"Y-yes, of course! Here are you keys," she said, extending three keys out to us after she quickly looked at her paperwork. "They'll be the three rooms at the east end of the fourth floor! If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!" she stumbled quickly over her words.

"Thanks!" Lavi said brightly as he took the key from her. Kanda took the second key without a word and I reached out for the last one.

"Thank you so much," I said in a quiet friendly tone to her. I felt bad for her because the guys seemed to fluster the poor woman. The smile I gave her was probably the first genuine one I'd put on my face since I left the cafeteria after lunch earlier that day.

"N-no problem!" she stuttered with a tone of relief. "Enjoy your stay!" she called after me as I trailed after my "co-workers" up the staircase. Two more staircases and we were on the fourth floor. I was so grateful that I was in shape! Really, though, I think that many steps should be illegal. Maybe I was being spoiled by the elevators at headquarters...

I quickly found my room and unlocked the door before slipping inside and closing it behind me. I had wanted desperately to be alone all day long and now I finally had my chance and I wasn't going to miss it! As the door closed, I locked it. I wanted to make sure I had a moment to myself. I didn't want Lavi to think it was a good time to confront me about his lies. I just wanted solitude.

I tossed my bag on the floor at the foot of my bed. It was a large bed with neutral blankets on it. In fact, the whole room was quaint and neutral. There was a shabby wooden dresser with matching night table and desk in the room. The curtains were dull and old and the mirror that hung on the wall had white streaks on it from someone failing to clean it. The small washroom attached to my room was... modest, to put it politely. I wrinkled my nose before closing the bathroom door and shuffling over to the bed. Turning, I allowed myself to fall backwards. When I landed on the bed, I bounced one good time before my body settled. My neck ached from sleeping on the train, so, even though the mattress was obviously old, it felt pretty comfortable to me.

A long sigh escaped me before it morphed into an audible groan and my gloved palms came up to press against my eyelids in frustration. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had never felt anything like that before. My palms rolled upward as the backs of my hands rested on my forehead. I stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Lavi's smile flashed through my mind, and that was when I decided that my small room was just too quiet. I quickly sat up before rising to my feet. I figured going out to find something to eat wouldn't hurt. Making sure my key was in my pocket, I tried to be as quiet as possible as I left my room. I was so intent on staring at my feet, I hadn't caught the reflection in the mirror of the red-haired exorcist sitting on the giant hammer outside of my window. I didn't know that his green eye had been staring at me with an intense look of sorrow about his face.

The night air was cool which was a little refreshing in a way. I wasn't at all cold because there really wasn't a breeze of any kind. The air was still, so it was comfortable. The streets were still moderately busy as I walked along. I had decided that I was going to get dinner, but I was so lost in myself that I didn't realize I was walking past all of the restaurants. I don't know what I was thinking anyway because I wouldn't have known what to order when I got anywhere anyway, but I knew I needed background noise and I needed to be moving my feet. Whenever I sat still, I felt like my chest was caving in, and I couldn't stand it. It was a sudden growl of my stomach that brought me back to reality.

When I looked around, I blinked in shock. I must have been on the other side of town and nothing looked familiar.

"Just great!" I muttered to myself. "I'm going to have to ask for directions so I can get back to the inn. I'm going to look like such an idiot!" I went on cursing myself.

"Do you always talk to yourself like that?" a voice asked from behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin as I turned around to discover a tall man with shaggy black hair and glasses. In fact, he looked pretty scruffy. I almost began to think he was a homeless drifter or something. When I didn't answer, he laughed. "So you reserve your speech strictly to yourself then?"

"N-no," I stammered. I suddenly felt completely ridiculous. My face flushed bright red. "I've had a rough day!" I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"Alright, alright! I didn't mean to make you mad. I take it you're lost?"

"Oh, is it that obvious?" I asked, tossing my arms into the air as I rolled my eyes. He just continued to smirk at me. I felt myself losing my patience again. I really hated being short tempered. It wasn't like me at all. I mentally cursed Lavi for doing that to me!

"No need to be rude. I can help you," he offered. There was an odd air about this man. He seemed unusually laid back for my taste. I was starting to suspect he might try and scam me or something. It was then that I thanked God for my upbringing. At least I could safely say I was able to defend myself, so I wasn't really alarmed that there was a strange man offering to help me get unlost in a city I had never been to before.

"You'd really help me out?" I asked, my shoulders wilting a little as I relaxed. I felt my face suddenly fall into a pathetic expression, almost like a wounded puppy. I never got lost, and I didn't like the feeling of it.

"Why not? There isn't anyone else around here to help you," he said, gesturing to the empty street I'd landed myself on. I looked around and frowned. "I'm Tyki."

"Emi," I said with a small nod. "Thank you so mu-" my words were cut off by another loud grumble from my innards. I looked down at myself with clear embarrassment played on my features and Tyki just laughed again.

"Well, Emi, it's nice to meet you! You sound hungry, and lost! You're like a little stray!" he teased. I just frowned at him, but the frown was more of a pout. It was the least angry I felt in hours, to be honest. "Well, where are you headed?" he asked.

"I'm staying at the inn near the station," I told him. His eyebrows rose so high they disappeared under his wavy hair.

"Oh? How'd you end up clear out here then?" he asked, walking past me and waving me to follow along behind him.

"I've got a lot on my mind," I said, crossing my arms across my torso as I scowled sadly down at the cobblestone street.

"Hmm? Well, what's troubling you? I've got ears if you need someone to talk to," he said as we walked.

"Eh," I began, unsure of whether I wanted to unload my troubles onto that stranger or not. "I just... I thought someone was a friend of mine, but I guess his kindness toward me was just sympathy. I thought I'd made a real friend, but it turns out he doesn't care about me at all," I explained, feeling my eyebrows cave in.

"Oh, I see. Boy troubles, then? A pretty young lady shouldn't trouble herself with things like that. Your clothes... A uniform? You must have a pretty good job. That cloth looks like it's high quality. You don't need to worry about boys," he said with a smile. I just frowned again.

"It's not like that! It's not boy trouble! I just feel like I was betrayed by my friend!" I protested. I wasn't going to really admit my feelings for Lavi- not to Tyki and not to myself. Tyki just laughed more.

"Of course," he said as if he knew something that I didn't. Thankfully, he changed the subject. He told me that he traveled around with some buddies and that he did odd jobs, like construction, whenever he could find work. I was really thankful for the distraction and, before I knew it, we were standing in front of the inn again.

"Oh! Wow, I didn't even realize we were close," I said as I stared up at the building.

"I'm just glad I could help. Don't get lost again, alright?" Tyki said. He began to turn on his heel like he was going to depart, but I rose my hand in the air as I hesitantly opened my mouth to stop him.

"I... I thought you said we were going to get me something to eat," I said. I could feel the hope radiating from my eyes. Tyki looked shocked for a moment, but then he laughed (yet again).

"I guess I did! I'm sorry, I guess I just figured that it was getting late and you were getting tired. After all, you said you've got to head out early in the morning," he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder for emphasis.

"I... do," I said questionably as I raised an eyebrow. "But I haven't eaten since noon and I just don't think I'd be able to sleep on an empty stomach. What if I get lost again and no one as nice as you is around to help me again?" I added. Maybe I would be able guilt him into going with me. I don't know what was getting into me! I really was hungry, and I think I was afraid of being alone. I was so used to being glued to Lavi, I didn't like doing things on my own, and it wasn't like Kanda was going to take me out for a meal.

I wasn't out much longer after my meal was finished. I thanked Tyki for his kindness and he wished me luck with my "not-boy problems." We said out farewells and I soon found myself quietly turning my key in the lock to my room. I jumped with a start when I pushed the door open because I wasn't expecting to fine Lavi sitting on my window seal.

"You've been out late," he said. His voice was lacking any kind of real emotion and it freaked me out a little, to say the least. I instantly started scowling at him. I had almost forgotten how hurt I'd felt, but all that came rushing back to me.

"What do you care?" I asked. I knew I must have sounded really snobby, but I didn't care. I strutted over to my bad and dug for my brush before I moved over to the mirror and pulled my hair tie loose so that I could brush my hair.

"What do you mean by that! We're friends! Why wouldn't I care!" he demanded. He sounded like I'd hurt his feelings with the venom in my voice. I felt my jaw slide forward as I clenched my teeth down in disbelief and turned to look at him.

"Oh, are we?" I asked, my eyes growing wide. "You must think I'm an idiot!" I spat, turning back to my reflection. I hated how mad I looked. Anger didn't seem to suit my face at all.

"Eeeemi!" Lavi whined. "If you heard what I said to my gramps, that was nothing!" he said. I shot him another glare but I didn't say anything. "Really! He thinks that, since we have to record history without opinion that we shouldn't make friends, but I don't buy that crap! You, and everyone else at the Order, mean so much to me! I really am your friend!" he began to try to convince me.

I was still scowling, but I didn't want to. I wanted to believe every word he was telling me, I really did! Yet, something inside of me still felt betrayed.

"If that's the case, why wasn't he upset about you being friends with Lenalee or Johnny or Reever!" I challenged. Lavi slouched in a look of defeat.

"Because he's already yelled at me for all that before! You're new, and you're... different," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he looked away from me as if he felt awkward looking at me all of the sudden.

"Different? How am I different?" I asked, my expression twisting into a pained exasperation. My voice cracked and my eyes suddenly started to sting. It was that feeling I'd gotten on the beach the day I met Lavi- the feeling I refused to recognize as, "about to cry."

"Because!" he said simply. When I sniffled and looked at him, as if my eyes were just begging him to go on, he let out a disgruntled sigh. Apparently, Lavi didn't like talking about his feelings at all. "I was the one who dragged you to the Order! I saw, first hand, you lose everything you had back in Italy! I felt responsible for you and I felt like I had to look after you! I don't have that sort of connection to anyone else! I can't help but feel like I have to protect you!" he blurted out very fast.

I blinked at him with a look of astonishment upon my face. I wanted to rush across the room and wrap my arms around him and say I was sorry for being so mad at him. the guilt washed over me and I couldn't take it anymore. A loud high pitched sob escaped me and I quickly spun in place, my hands finding their way to my face just in time to cover it before the tears seeped out. I tried so hard not to continue crying, but the sobs kept coming out, muffled by my palms.

"Aw, man! Emi, please don't cry!" Lavi began to implore some more.

"I'm n-not crying!" I sobbed through my hands. I was such a horrible liar. It was definitely obvious I was crying and I knew it, but I was still too proud to actually say that I was. I head another sigh escape him from across the room. Then I heard footsteps approach me.

"You're so damn stubborn," Lavi muttered. He was right behind me. I could feel the heat from his body and I could tell that his head was bowed because his voice was so near my ear. Before I could respond, his arms wrapped around mine from behind me as he embraced me in a hug. This made the breath suddenly explode from my lungs as my emotions completely broke free and I wept even louder.

"Y-you're my best friend, Lavi! I was so scared that... that you didn't care at all!" I finally said. I heard him sigh, softer this time than the previous times, before he rested his forehead on the top of my head and gave me a small nuzzle.

"Nothing could ever make my stop caring about you, Emi. You're my best friend, too," he said gently. My tears seemed to slow down and I caught my breath before sniffling again. I must have looked like a mess with my crazy wavy hair sticking to my soaking face, but I slowly turned and looked up at him.

"P-promise?" I croaked.

Lavi looked down at me and his eye scanned over my face before his fingers traced my hairline to unstick the wet hairs from my face. Then he brushed his palms against my cheeks before he smiled down at me.

"Promise!" he said in his usual upbeat tone.

"Good," I said, a stubborn scowl coming back to my face as I reared my fist back and gave his shoulder a girlish punch.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed.

"Don't you ever do this to me again!" I yelled.

"I won't! I swear! just don't hit me again!" he cried, his erupting tears once again springing from his face. My frown softened and I looked at him like I was asking him to be serious for a moment.

"I'm being serious," I said, just for clarification. "You don't know how sad I've felt all day, Lavi."

He quit rubbing his shoulder and looked at me for a long moment before he closed his eye. He reached out and put his hands on my shoulders before tugging me forward where he hugged me again. This time, I couldn't help it, and I wrapped my arms around his midsection and buried my face in his chest.

"I'm so sorry about this whole day, Emi. This will never happen again, I swear to you," he said quietly. I felt my eyes sting again, but this time, it was because I was relieved, and I just nodded. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but I finally just let myself cry for a few moments and Lavi ran his fingers through my hair. It felt so nice. I was beginning to wonder if finding myself in his arms was going to become how I ended my day every day. Wasn't it just like this last night?

* * *

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this story since December! I've sort of been in a slump, I guess. I haven't written much of anything in a while. I thought it would be cool to introduce Tyki. I might make this more of the plot later on since he knows who the exorcists are at this point. I couldn't stand Emi being mad at Lavi anymore, so I ended all that with this chapter. Cute, huh?


	6. Kanda's School for Exorcists

I don't think I truly fell asleep the rest of the night. Lavi stayed in my room for a few more hours, I think. I lost track of time. He sat at the desk in my room telling me stories. I was only half listening to him; I'd heard so many of his stories before so they weren't quite as entertaining as they were the first time around, but I don't think I fully fell asleep. At some point, the hammer-wielding exorcist's voice faded out, but I hadn't noticed. What caused me to jerk awake from my daydreaming was the sudden awareness of light seeping in through my open window.

With a gasp I sat up, my mass of chocolate hair graced with a single golden streak in it surrounded my face in a matted nest. My honey-colored eyes darted around the room before landing on Lavi. He was still sitting slouched over in the chair at the dilapidated desk only his head was tossed back and his mouth was wide open, snoring as a trickle of drool escaped at the corner. It took a moment for the scene of him sleeping there to sink into my mind before my eyes closed in a smile.

I have to admit that I had my doubts about his apology. I didn't know which story to believe: that he cared for me as his best friend or that he just felt sorry for me and didn't care about anyone as his friends. Although, if he was willing to sleep so uncomfortably all night like that just to make sure I was alright after just a stressful day, he must have cared about me at least a little. That's the conclusion that I came to, and I didn't want to be mad at him, so I forced my doubts to subside.

Tossing my blankets off of me, I swung my feet over the side of my bed and walked over to where Lavi was sleeping. I hadn't tried to make my steps quiet because I didn't want to startle him awake, but even my half-stomping didn't stir him from his slumber. I hesitated, but said his name softly.

"L-Lavi...?" He only snored louder. I raised my sleek eyebrow and repeated his name a little louder. His snore broke as if he might have choked a little and he lifted his head, but it soon fell back again as he continued to sleep. So, this time, I tapped his shoulder and repeated his name again. "Lavi, wake up!" I said, but still no response. I crossed my arms impatiently. I never had to wake Lavi up before and, aside from my parents, I had never really dealt with having to wake anyone up.

A rather sly look landed itself on my face finally as an idea came to me. With one swift motion, my foot slid forward across the floor and knocked into the bottom of the chair's back legs. This sent the chair, along with the weight of most of Lavi's body, toppling over towards the floor. He landed with a loud bang and yelp.

"Ow! Emi! What'd ya do that for!" he demanded as he jolted upright and began to rub the back of his head where it had connected with the floor. I quickly wiped the satisfied look off of my face and put up a mock-expression of worry and apology.

"I tried to wake you up and nothing was working! The sun's up. Kanda's going to be knocking on our doors soon to make sure we're ready to go. What will he think if he finds you in here?" I asked, gesturing towards the window to prove that it was, in fact, morning.

"Ah, I don't care what he thinks," Lavi waved off dismissively as he rose to his feet and knelt over to pick up the chair and replace it under the desk.

"But what if I do?" I asked as my lip pressed outward as I gave him puppy eyes. "I don't want anyone to think I'm... indecent or something," I said. I don't know why I said that, but the mere thought of being "indecent" with Lavi made my face turn red. I was still being too stubborn about where my feelings truly were, and I don't know why I was worried about what Kanda thought anyway. Maybe it was that I just didn't want anymore fighting on the trip, at least not with me involved.

I studied Lavi's face for a moment. He was staring at the window with a tired look on his face as he bit the inside of his lip like he was trying to decide what to do. Then a defeated sigh escaped him.

"I guess you're right. I don't want anyone thinking anything bad about you. You really shouldn't worry so much about what Yuu thinks anyways. He's just always grumpy and stubborn. I'll see you in a little while, okay?" he said as he began to climb up onto the window seal. Taking out his tessei, he extended it down towards the ground and hopped out of the window as it began to sway next door towards his own window. I hurried over to the window and stuck my head out in time to see the hammer retract into his room. Some birds flew by which made me look out across the town.

The sun was only halfway above the horizon over some foothills causing the sky to be a mixture of pinks and oranges. I could hear birds chirping happily all around me as the streets began to stir from their own slumber. Shops were just opening and people were coming out of their houses stretching and yawning. It was really beautiful. The town was a big bigger than my tiny village in Italy and it was just lovely. The sunrise over the foothills almost compared to that of the one over the sea. I smiled to myself and wondered if I'd ever get to settle down somewhere someday. If I did, it would definitely be in a place like this. I could see myself living in a little cottage on the edge of town, married with a few red-haired children running around...

My eyes grew in alarm as I realized what I was thinking. I shook my head as if trying to shake the image away and my face burned. I groaned quietly to myself as I turned my back to my window and wandered into my washroom. I took a quick bath and put on a clean uniform before toweling my hair dry and taming it into its ponytail. A few moments after I made sure all of my things were packed, there was a rather annoyed knock at my door. When I opened it, I was met with Lavi's voice going ninety miles per hour and Kanda's eyebrows so flat I could have balanced a pencil across them.

"Make sure your things are packed. We leave soon," Kanda said through his teeth as Lavi went on talking about who-knows-what as if he didn't even notice no one was listening to him. I friendly smirk spread across my lips as I leaned on the doorknob and dusted my fingernails off on my chest.

"Oh, I'm already all packed and ready to go," I said in a proud nature. Kanda hadn't expected me to be ready, so perhaps I'd earn myself some brownie points by proving him wrong this time. His eyebrow twitched as if it wanted to rise at me in amusement, but the constantly battery of Lavi's voice made it instantly sink back down in annoyance.

"Let's go then," he said, turning so quickly that his cloak snapped in his wake. Lavi finally quit talking and blinked, watching Kanda disappear into his room to get his bag before he turned and grinned at me. I stifled a small giggle; I didn't want Kanda to hear me laughing in amusement at Lavi's antics. I was going to try to play a mediator between the two of them. I didn't want to deal with Kanda being in a worse mood than necessary and I didn't want my best friend to be impaled by Kanda's mugen.

"Go get your things before his head pops off," I whispered.

"Ah, but that might be interesting! I'm surprised it hasn't happened already," he added thoughtfully as if he had just noticed that Kanda's head had never actually popped off before due to high blood pressure. I gave him a playful roll of the eyes before shooing him off. He laughed but quickly went back into his room next door.

Fifteen minutes later, we were walking west with out bags over our shoulders and pastries we'd purchased for breakfast. At least, Lavi and I were eating breakfast; Kanda wasn't. I guess he wasn't a fan of French baking.

"So, tell me again why we aren't taking a carriage?" Lavi began to say. Kanda shot him an annoyed glance.

"She," he said as if I didn't deserve a real name, "needs to learn how to survive outside her means. We're going by foot and camping until we find Tiedoll so that she can learn some basic survival skills," he finished in an authoritative voice. Lavi gave Kanda a droll stare and I gulped and frowned.

"C'mon, Yuu-"

"Don't call me that."

"Go easy on her! This is her first time. Can't we just-"

"No, he's right," I interrupted. "I've never really been camping or anything before. I should probably learn how to survive on my own. What happens if I get a solo mission sometime? I think this is a good thing," I said with an optimistic smile. It felt so nice to be in a good mood again after the hectic day I had previously experienced. No matter how hard things got for me, I usually always tried to find the silver lining. I don't know why I was so unable to do that when I thought Lavi didn't care about me. Getting angry and depressed just wasn't in my character, but, then again, I'd never really had any sort of real relationship with other people since I had been a small child. I never had to face unfamiliar disappointment, so I suppose it was uncharted territory for me.

Lavi blinked at me for a moment as if he was trying to figure me out, but then he shrugged and took a large bite of his pastry.

"Alright, if you say so," he said with a mouthful of food. I heard a small annoyed sound escape from Kanda, but we walked on in silence, at least until Lavi had finished eating.

"Kanda," I finally said after a short while. He glanced at me with a scowl on his face, but he didn't say a word so I just figured he wanted me to go on. "We didn't pack any food for later on. What are we going to do when it's lunch time?" I asked.

"Hunt and gather," he said flatly as if I had just asked a stupid question. I let out an astonished peep.

"Eh! You mean you want me to kill something!" I asked. I didn't like the idea at all.

"We kill akuma, so what's the difference?" he asked. He was starting to sound pretentious to me.

"But I've never..." I began to say, but then I thought back to the night the akuma disguised as my mother exposed itself. I had dealt the final blow, so I couldn't really say that I'd never killed an akuma before.

"Yuu-" Lavi began to say but flinched when he received a death glare. "Killing a living creature and destroying an akuma aren't the same thing and you know it. When we destroy akuma, we're freeing tormented souls. Those people don't want to be akuma. They aren't there by choice and we're doing them a favor," he lectured. It was odd to see Lavi actually lecture someone, especially someone like Kanda. I guess I needed the reminder every once in a while that Lavi really was one of the smartest people I knew despite the idiotic front he put up.

Kanda stopped in his tracks and turned around to leer at both of us.

"And hunting is how we're going to survive. If you can't nurish yourself, how do you expect to be strong enough to use your weapon?" Kanda demanded, pointing to my gloves. "You need energy or else you'll be useless in battle. Protein will be essential to your diet, so you'll need to discard your foolish ideals and do what is necessary to complete out mission." Now I was the one being lectured, and the sad part was, Kanda made a lot of sense.

"You don't need to be so rude about it, though," Lavi protested more.

"No, no, he's right again," I said, shooting a pleading look at Lavi to just forget it. He seemed to get my silent message because he didn't say anything else. Kanda turned back around and continued walking.

Lavi and I talked to one another as we went and Kanda was obviously trying to tune us out as he walked in front of us several yards ahead. It had been an hour, maybe thirty minutes longer or so, since we'd left the city and my feet were starting to ache a little. Then I realized that my bag seemed unusually heavy. A wave of dizziness washed over me starting at my feet and working its way up towards my head.

"L-Lavi," I said suddenly as I stopped. He stopped and turned to me in alarm, but he seemed to know what was happening. "I'm... not gunna... make... it.." I murmured. Before I even started to fall, his arms were out to catch me.

I hadn't slept since Lenalee had woken me up to give me my uniform aside from my restless nap on the train and it had finally caught up to me. I wasn't aware that Lavi had yelled at Kanda to stop as he was positioning me on his back so he could carry me. Kanda wasn't going to let us stop so I could rest. I don't know how he did it, but somehow Lavi talked Kanda into taking me bag so he could carry me. When I woke up, I was laying on Lavi's uniform top and he was sitting next to me in his green shirt. In front of us was a small campfire. Kanda was unseen. I sat up and rubbed my eyes as Lavi poked idly at the fire with a stick.

"Hmm... What happened?" I groaned groggily.

"You fell asleep again," Lavi said with a weak smile. I blinked at him in alarm and looked up at the sky. The sun was directly above us, so I assumed it was roughly noon.

"What!" I said in alarm as I examined the sky. "But it's already midday! I must have been out for..." I began to calculate the time we left the city compared to now.

"Four hours," Kanda's voice came from over my shoulder.

"FOUR hours!" I repeated. I must have had a mortified look on my face, because Kanda's little "che" sound almost sounded like a snort, like he was trying not to scoff at me.

"Lucky for you, Baka Usagi carried you. You can't allow yourself to be in this position anymore. From now on, you'll meditate at sunset until you go to sleep," he said, again sounding like he was some sort of authority.

"Hey! You're just the guide," Lavi said angrily. I turned to look at him with a questioning look on his face.

"She needs to learn to survive or she won't last five minutes on her own," Kanda said. It was then that I noticed he had some sort of small animal carcass with him. As he sat down, he began to skin it without hesitation. I recoiled as my nose wrinkled and looked away. It was going to take a lot for me to get the nerves to do something like that. Both guys noticed my reaction, but Kanda just looked back at Lavi, annoyed as ever, and Lavi returned his glare with a scowl of his own.

"But Tiedoll will be the one to train her. Your job is just to get us there. Ever since we got off the train, you've been barking orders! You really need to chill out!" Lavi exclaimed.

Kanda stopped working on preparing the animal meat for a moment and his eyes shifted form Lavi to me. I still must have looked mortified as I looked at Kanda with pleading eyes. I knew my weakness was purely my own fault for not realizing when I was tired and that Lavi was just trying to stick up for me, but I also knew Kanda was right. I just didn't want them to fight, and Lavi looked tired. Carrying me must have worn him out and I didn't want to keep being a burden.

"Both of you, please stop," I begged. "I think... you're both right. Kanda has a point that I need to figure things out to be more independent, but Lavi has a point, too. Kanda, I don't mind you giving me tips and pointers, but you can't just throw me into the water and expect me to know how to swim. I'm sure you have your own weaknesses, too," I said, pleading with him to be understanding.

"Che," he replied after a long moment before he just went back to work skinning his rabbit- or whatever it was.

Lavi shook his head. "Come on, Emi. Let's go look for other stuff to eat," he said as he rose to his feet. I nodded and got up before picking up his jacket and dusting off the grass and dirt. He slung it over his shoulder and the two of us disappeared into the trees.

"These berries here are safe to eat," he said as he knelt down next to a bush. "But make sure you only pick ripe ones, like this," he said as he showed me what a ripe berry looked like. I nodded and we both went to work picking berries. He didn't say anything for a while, and I was starting to worry. However, he finally broke the silence but with angry words. "I really don't know who he thinks he is sometimes. He has no right to treat you that way!" he complained.

"Lavi," I cooed. "Don't get so worked up. I don't really think he's being mean to me, you know?" I said, again with optimism surging through my voice.

"What do you mean? How is he not being a jerk?" he asked, stopping what he was doing to shoot me a puzzled look.

"I think that he sees both of us as his allies, if not even his friends. He's just the type to be the tough loner guy, right? We're all on the same side and I think he knows that. He's probably just being hard on me because he wants me to survive and be able to contribute to our cause with the Order. I think it's Kanda's way of trying to protect me, too. Do you understand it that way?" I asked, giving him an encouraging smile. He sat back and crossed his arms stubbornly as he began to mull of words over in his mind. Finally, he sighed and held his palms out at shoulder height as he shrugged.

"I guess you have a point. You're probably right," Lavi said as he seemed to accept defeat. I just grinned at him and popped a berry in my mouth.

"Mmm! These are so yummy!" I said with surprised delight. Lavi just chuckled.

"You're so adorable sometimes, Bright Eyes," he laughed.

"Nooo," I cooed again in a singsong tone. "I'm pretty much sure I'm adorable all the time," I joked. He laughed again.

"I'd have to agree with that! You're always right, too, it looks like."

By the time we returned to the camp, our jackets used as baskets for different berries, nuts, mushrooms, and ever some other fruit, Kanda has his small animal already roasting over the camp fire. To be honest, it smelled really good, too. Maybe I would really try to get over my jitters of hunting. It wasn't like I was a vegetarian or anything, and it wouldn't be so bad if I said a prayer and thanked the animal for helping me survive. It was just so... gruesome. I didn't know if I could get past the gore of skinning and gutting anything. At the thought, I stuck out my tongue in disgust and shook my head.

"Fruit, vegetables, and nuts," Lavi said as he laid out his jacket full of goodies out like a small display table. I mimicked the action as well and Kanda gave us a long emotionless stare.

"In hunter-gatherer societies, the women are the ones who do the gathering," he said flatly.

"WHAT!" Lavi howled as if he were highly offended. I just out a girlish laugh and Kanda gained a smug look on his face.

"Kanda!" I exclaimed. "Are you actually joking around with us!" I asked.

"Hey! Yeah! I think he is! You DO love us!" Lavi said, fake tears of joy coming to his eyes as he began to make kissy faces at Kanda. The Japanese male's smirk disappeared and his usual angry glare found its way back.

"Shut it, baka!" he growled, but Lavi and I just laughed. Maybe traveling with Kanda wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Author's Note

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with my story so far, especially the ones who continue to read it even after my 3-month hiatus. I really appreciate it, guys! I love reading the reviews and getting feedback and suggestions! I know the grammar isn't perfect and there are typos here and there, but I'm so glad that everyone overlooks that and doesn't nitpick. I've gotten suggestions of various love triangles and, while I find them amusing, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to do that to poor Emi. I WILL tell you, though, some interesting things are going to happen when she meets Bak :)

I also want to give a shout out to one of my bestest buddies. I love her so much for introducing me to DGM and just being my muse in general. Any time I get writer's block, I can always turn to her and brainstorm until I get unstuck! Her suggestions and guidance keep me motivated to do what I love to do: write! Here's to you, Arista Lycoris! (She also has a DGM fic featuring her OC and Kanda! It's great, I highly recommend it!)


	7. Childlike Ideals

Most people wouldn't have even lasted three days before getting annoyed by being isolated with Kanda and Lavi. I was well-versed in the language of isolation, but my that third day of roughing it with the two male exorcists, I nearly wanted to pull all of my hair out. I couldn't imagine being someone who wasn't used to it. They'd have shot themselves in the foot on that very first day, but there I was, day three and just starting to reach my wit's end.

Kanda hadn't let up at all on trying to be the team leader. We'd passed up several small towns and villages as we wandered around the French countryside, but he wouldn't allow us to go into town for any reason. We camped in the trees outside the towns, and I'm pretty sure Kanda stood guard all night to make sure we didn't sneak off to go get some real food. By that time, I had already killed at least four small forest creatures, but I wasn't getting used to it at all. I had never known that about myself before- that I was so squeamish.

It was well after lunch time, even though we hadn't eaten lunch yet, when I finally just tossed my bag down and collapsed onto it with an exhausted groan. Lavi also wore a fatigued look upon his face as he dredged along, but Kanda just looked as stoic as ever.

"What are you doing?" he barked as his cold eyes stabbed through my very soul like overly-sharpened daggers. I felt my brow furrow as my hands covered the top of my head defensively.

"My feet hurt and I'm tired! I'm so hungry but I don't want to kill another bunny or else I won't be able to eat anyway," I pouted.

"Che, get back up or get left behind," Kanda spat.

"Yuu!" Lavi protested, once again coming to my defense. He'd been trying so hard to keep in mind what I said about Kanda being hard on me was his way of showing he cared. It was just getting too much for him, and I could tell. A small part of my felt a tiny bit of satisfaction. I felt like I could actually believe again that he really just wanted to protect me from anything and everything, including the Big Bad Kanda-monster.

"Don't call me that," Kanda snarled again. It was like it was becoming his catchphrase. Lavi just continued on without acknowledging the venom in the Japanese exorcist's tone.

"You're pushing her way too hard. Look there," Lavi went on. He pointed down our path to where the trees opened like an archway. There was a steep hill and, not a half mile away, a small town rested in the grassy valley of the foothills we were traveling through. "Just let us stop and rest for a while. We don't even know where Tiedoll is, exactly. A few hours won't be so bad," he tried to reason.

Kanda just glared at Lavi for a moment. I'm not sure, but I think he actually didn't have a response for Lavi's request. I think that Kanda was actually getting a little tired of roughing it, too. He had to have a favorite meal or something that he was missing out on. What I was really missing out on was a real bed to sleep on and proper place to bathe.

"We are not going into town," Kanda finally said. I heard myself sigh, but I rose to my feet and dusted myself off impatiently.

"If that's the case, then I'm going to find a place to bathe," I said, cocking my head at Kanda as an uncharacteristic attitude pulsed through my voice. I was worn out and I wanted to take a nap in a real bed, but it wasn't going to happen, and it wasn't happening because my tour guide had gone power-mad! "Unlike you, I don't enjoy smelling like I've been rolling around in a pig pen all day!" I added, throwing my hands into the air as she turned on my heel and stalked off into the trees.

Oddly enough, I found the perfect place to take a shower. It was on the edge of a cliff where a creek spilled over creating a small waterfall that fell into a clear spring. I quickly shed my clothes, keeping my gloves nearby, just in case, and slipped into the water. It was surprisingly warm, especially for it being mid-Autumn. A chill ran up my spine and I crossed my arms over my chest and happily sunk into the water until only my nose and up remained above the water.

I stayed like that for a few very long moments. The relaxation felt nice and I didn't want to move. It was when I found myself drifting through my own daydreams of a rather heated nature I realized I was nearly drifting off. Forcing my eyes open, I stood back up and ducked my head under the little water fall so that I would wash my hair. All I could hear was the sound of rushing water, so you can imagine my surprise when I turned to see a large pair of black eyes glistening in my direction from the shade of the surrounding trees.

I just froze for a moment. I blinked. I didn't know what to do, but it didn't take long for an involuntary scream to escape me. The black eyes grew large in fear and then, as I made an attempt to cover my nudity, I heard swift feet fleeing into the trees. Not a few seconds later, both Lavi and Kanda appeared.

"Emi, what is it-!" Both exorcists froze at the sight of me and my face almost exploded- that's how hard I blushed. I quickly ducked down into the water as another yelp made it's way out of my throat and pointed off into the trees where I'd seen the mysterious eyes.

"S-someone was watching me!" I squeaked. Lavi's face was nearly as red as mine and it seemed like he couldn't gain control of his body. He just continued to stare just above me where I had just been standing as if the image of me naked under the tiny waterfall was burned onto his retinas. Luckily, Kanda seemed to recover, or at least was eager to find a reason to escape the awkward moment between the three of us. He darted off into the trees, the hilt of his mugen gripped firmly in both of his hands.

"L-Lavi!" I stammered, turning my back to him. His green eye blinked a few times as he slowly came back to reality and finally looked down at me trying to hide myself from him. He seemed to panic for a moment before he quickly turned his back.

"I-I'm so sorry, Emi! I didn't mean to- I mean you screamed and I just- You're so pretty- I'm so embarrassed!" he quickly began to stammer.

"I don't care! Just don't turn back around!" I peeped some more. I quickly hopped out of the little spring and dived behind a bush. I had my white tank top and under shorts on along with my cloak when the crunching of twigs sounded in the direction Kanda had vanished. Lavi and I both paused and looked over to where the Japanese exorcist emerged from the trees with his trademark annoyed look plastered on his face. In his hand he held a small boy no older than eleven by the scruff of his neck.

"Your peeping Tom," he said flatly, tossing the boy so that he lost his footing and fell forward on his stomach, much in the manner a guard would toss a prisoner into a jail cell.

"A little boy?" Lavi questioned, scratching the side of his head. As the boy looked around, he spotted me (half dressed and still soaking wet) behind the bush. I quickly pulled my white pants up and slipped my feet into my boots without bothering to zip them before I stumbled out into the open. The little boy's eyes grew large with fear as I scowled down on him, but everyone was silent for a long moment.

"I- I- I-!" the little boy began to stutter with a thick French accent. "I'm so sorry, Ma'am! I didn't mean to just stare at you! I got separated from my parents a few days ago and I needed help, I didn't mean to...!" he began to cry. My eyes softened, but my hands were still on my hips.

"Would your parents be happy to know that you just hide in the bushes and watch women bathe!" I demanded.

"I didn't know you were there, or bathing!" he cried, looking panicked as he looked from me to Lavi and then to Kanda who loomed over him like the grim reaper.

"So then what were you doing hiding in the bushes...?" Lavi asked, his arms crossed with a flat unamused look upon his face.

"I heard other people, so I was just trying to find them. That's all, I swear!" he continued to say with fear in his voice. I examined his face for a moment before I sighed and walked over to him. I knelt down and hooked a hand under his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"You're lost then?" I asked, my normal demeanor finally returning to me. I was trying my hardest to push the fact that everyone had seen me naked as far as I could from my mind. The boy looked up at me with his dark eyes and nodded, his bottom lip jutting outward giving him a pathetic helpless look. I blinked at him once more before I landed my hand gently on the top of the curly brown nest of hair atop his head. He flinched, but then looked up at me in surprise.

"There's a village near here. We'll take you," I said to him. Kanda gave me and evil glare as Lavi slid over to him.

"Looks like you lose this time, Yuu!" he said. Had I had an aerial view, there would have been a large dust cloud rising up from the trees as if a small explosion had gone off. Really, it was Kanda punching Lavi in the side of his head so hard he flew backwards through several trees leaving a large burrow in his wake. The boy blinked at my two companions in astonishment, but I just shook my head.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"Amaury," he replied.

"I'm Emi and that's Kanda," I said pointing to the seething Japanese exorcist. Lavi groaned and crawled back into view with cuts and scrapes all over him. "And that human wrecking ball there is Lavi," I said with a small laugh.

Amaury looked up at me for a moment as if he were trying to decide something. There was a look of awe on his face that I hadn't seen before. I don't know what it was- admiration? I didn't know that the small boy had become completely infatuated with me. That would explain why he walked behind Lavi and I as we headed into the village and just stared at the back of our heads with large eyes full of wonder. Kanda skulked along in the rear with his arms still crossed. He wasn't the least bit elated that we had gotten our way about going into town.

The walk towards the town was a lot longer than I had anticipated when I pointed at it from the hilltop forest. It seemed even longer now that we were traveling in silence and I was starting to struggle to keep that humiliating moment out of my head. Even now that I was clad in my clothes with my uniform over the top with ever button and zipper securely fastened, I still felt like all three males I was traveling with could see me as if I were stark.

"I hope the inn has comfortable beds," I said suddenly, just to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh, yeah! Definitely! I want something with a little spring in it. It would be so much nicer than sleeping on the ground," Lavi said with a nod.

"I'd even settle for itchy blankets," I breathed, thinking about using my cloak as a blanket like I had been for the past few days. "And a real meal! I'm so excited!" I realized suddenly.

"Excited enough to decide what you want to eat?" Lavi asked with a grin. I blinked. I was so horrible at picking out what I wanted to eat. Lavi usually did that for me. I wasn't a good chef at all and, all those years alone, I just ate bland foods necessary for my survival and training.

"I guess not... What sounds good to you?" I asked him, looking up at him.

"Definitely something less gamey than we've been eating. I might even settle for a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs," Lavi groaned, grabbing his stomach.

"As long as they aren't rabbit-meatballs, that sounds good to me, too," I sighed happily.

From behind us, Amaury was paying very close attention to our conversation. He looked from my long wavy ponytail to Lavi's bright red spiked hair. The child's large black eyes blinked thoughtfully for a moment. Then, a rather large smile spread across his face. Kanda raised an eyebrow at the boy, but didn't bother to question why he had such an excited look to his face. Little did we know, Amaury had decided that my conversation with Lavi reminded him of conversations that his parents had with one another. Therefore, the young boy believed us- that is, me and Lavi- to be a couple.

When we finally arrived at the inn, Kanda demanded keys to three rooms, just as he had when we got off the train, and put it on the Order's tab.

"C-can I stay in Lavi's room?" Amaury asked. When I looked down at him, his large eyes were twinkling with admiration again, but as if Lavi was some sort of hero. I looked up, one eyebrow arched high, in Lavi's direction. Lavi looked at me and shrugged before he looked back down at Amaury.

"If you really want to, I guess. Just don't make a lot of noise. I really value my sleep," he said with a thumbs up. Amaury gasped in delight and began to dance in a little circle. Small boys were easily excited, or so I figured. I hadn't really been around a lot of children, to be honest. Kanda was still looking not-amused.

It was late afternoon and Amaury decided to pass out for a nap. Kanda went about on his own because he was, apparently, in need of a break from Lavi (and me, but I wasn't sure), so Lavi and I decided to get a late lunch together on our own. We found ourselves sitting inside a small quaint cafe with heaping plates of spaghetti and meatballs, just like we'd talked about before.

"Amaury seems to really like you, Lavi," I said observantly. "Are you always so good with kids?" Lavi blinked in response to my question as if he hadn't really noticed. He even moved his hand up to scratch his scalp as he processed the inquiry.

"Well, now that you mention it, I guess kids really do like me," he said with a hint of amazement in his voice. He really hadn't ever noticed that he was good with children! That made me smile. I knew that kids probably liked him because they felt they could relate to him more. While most people felt Lavi's childish behavior was a hindrance or annoyance, I thought it was refreshing and charming- most of the time.

I let out a small girlish chuckle as I thought about Lavi being "one of the gang" in the eyes of a child. He gave me a rather dull look in response.

"What's so funny?" he asked with a serious pout on his face.

"Nothing!" I lied. "I can just see why Amaury likes you so much," I said simply before rolling up some spaghetti noodles on my fork and stuffing them in my mouth. I had a really bad habit of taking bites that were much too large for me, so I probably looked like a chipmunk with its cheeks full. Lavi stifled a laugh for a moment before it broke free and he handed me a napkin.

"You should learn to take smaller bites. I don't know what I'd do if you choked," he said to me. I gave him a "not-amused" stare as I slowly chewed my massive bite of spaghetti. I was having a lot of fun with him, to be honest. I had completely forgotten how insecure I'd felt just a few days ago. In fact, I was having such a good time that I didn't see Amaury's little face pressed against the window of the cafe. To him, Lavi and I appeared as if we were on a date which only reinforced his assumption that we were a couple.

By the time we got back to the inn, Amaury was still tucked under the blankets of his bed fast asleep- or so we thought. When Lavi entered his room, I peeked in over his shoulder. The young boy sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes as if us coming in had just stirred him from his slumber. By that point, it was late afternoon and I figured Amaury would be wanting to get something for dinner shortly.

"What time is it?" the young French boy asked groggily as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"It's getting close to supper time, but it's still a little early," I said, giving him a warm smile. My afternoon with Lavi was so wonderful and I had thoroughly been enjoying being around civilization again after not seeing any other human beings for days.

"What do you like to eat, anyway?" Lavi asked him as he walked across the room and flopped down on the bed parallel to the younger boy's. Amaury seemed to think for a very long moment and then he just shrugged.

"What's your favorite food, Lavi?" he asked. Lavi just grinned and instantly held up his index finger as if the boy had asked a silly question.

"Yakiniku, of course," he said simply. Amaury just blinked at him. Obviously, the little French boy was unfamiliar with Asian foods.

"It's like a shish kabob," I said to him. "It's usually beef or pork along with different vegetables all grilled on a stick. You can make them with sea foods, too," I explained.

"Oooh," Amaury cooed. "That sounds yummy! If Lavi likes it, it must be good! Can we have that for dinner!" he went on enthusiastically.

"Sounds good to me!" Lavi piped with an affirmative thumbs-up.

"I guess they never really get old," I said with a slightly exasperated smile. We had basically been turning our meals out in the wild into yakiniku for the past several days, but I wasn't going to complain about it now since I had gotten pasta for lunch and I would be sleeping in a nice bed and bathing in a real tub where no one would be able to wander by and spy me in my birthday suit again.

The rest of the night had been full of Amaury simply fawning over Lavi, to put it politely. Lavi couldn't get a single moment of peace. Everything he did, the child questioned and then would mimic. I don't think Lavi was very well accustomed to having a human shadow! It was pretty funny to watch, but after a few hours, I was worried that the red-haired exorcist was going to use his hammer to send the boy flying off to the moon. By the time the boy was finally settled in for bed, the moon was high in the sky and Lavi looked completely worn out.

"Emi, we've got to find a place for this kid to go! Kanda isn't going to let us linger about for very long tomorrow and I don't think I can take him tagging along with us!" Lavi uttered to me as I combed my hair in my room. He seemed terrified by the concept of Amaury coming along with us.

"Relax, Lavi. I'm sure someone here will take him. I just hope he finds his parents. I'm sure they'll come here looking for him when they can't find him anywhere," I began to say.

"Unless they abandoned him on purpose," Lavi interjected with a suggestive look on his face. I rolled my eyes at him.

"That isn't likely. He just looks up to you. How many people our age do you think he's really encountered, anyway? We're old enough for him to admire but young enough for him not to see us as old people. Just take it easy, alright?" I pleaded.

"Oh? Then you didn't hear all those questions he was asking me about you then?" he replied with a sly look on his face.

"Eh?" I blinked curiously as I turned to look at him. "Why would he ask you questions about me?" I asked.

"Because he thinks you're my girlfriend. That's the only reason he's so attached to me: he thinks you're the most amazing girl on the planet and that I must be super awesome to have you as my girlfriend. That's the only reason he's trying to be like me is because he thinks he's in love with you," he said as he pointed at me.

I think my eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Lavi burst out into laughter and my face turned bright red. I wasn't at all embarrassed about a little boy having a crush on me. That, I thought, was entirely adorable. What got me was that Amaury thought Lavi and I were in love.

I hadn't been completely oblivious to the thoughts here and there of Lavi that slipped through my mind, but at that instant, they all came rushing back to me. My faced burned as the realization sunk in, but my stubbornness wasn't going to let me admit anything quite yet.

"That's ridiculous!" I said loudly as I turned back around and furiously began to brush my hair again.

"What is?" Lavi asked, a grin still on his face.

"You and me- kids really do have the wildest imaginations!" I said as if I were completely appalled.

"Yeah," Lavi continued to chuckle. "It is pretty silly, huh?"

Even though I agreed with him in silence, I felt my heart sink a little. To me, it really wasn't... THAT silly... Did Lavi really think it was?

* * *

Author's Note

Generally I write my chapters in one sitting, but this chapter was written over the span of an entire week because it's spring break and I've been busy cleaning and preparing for a garage sale while rearranging furniture and all that fun stuff. THUS! I apologize for it seeming a little choppy or draggy. This chapter might come off as boring but it's supposed to lead to some more action in the next chapter.

Also, sorry if it seemed rushed in some places. I found myself getting carried away with certain parts so I summed up everything I really wanted to write so it wouldn't be an overly long chapter. So far, I believe this chapter is the longest of the story so far! I promise to get back to the action soon, though. ~Emm

Additional Note : I wrote this back on March 24, but wouldn't let me update. I'm sorry it took so long to get it to you, but here it is!


	8. Oh Mia Dio

It was early the next day when Kanda was banging on our doors. When my honey-colored eyes squeezed tightly shut and then fluttered open lazily, my room had a dull orange hue to it. The sun wasn't even up all the way yet and our tour guide was ready to find a place to dump Amaury and depart from the town. I really didn't want to rough it again, so I groaned and pulled the blankets back up over my head. A few moments later, I heard muffled voices before my door opened.

"Just wait here for a minute!" hissed Lavi's voice before the door shut. An annoyed sigh slithered out of my nostrils as I felt what seemed to be hands fall limply at the foot of my bed. When I finally uncovered myself and blinked, Lavi was on his knees with his arms stretched out across my bed, his head tilted back with those classic melodramatic tears of his rushing down his face.

"L...avi...?" I questioned, rubbing my eyes as if I might still be asleep. Then his head came crashing down, his face plowing into the rough springy mattress I was sleeping on. I just blinked in surprise for a moment before I shook my head and looked back down at him again. "What's the matter?" I finally sighed. I knew the answer before the question even left my lips.

"Amaury was up before Kanda even was! He's been talking my ear off since four in the morning!" he sobbed.

I merely scratched my head. I was too sleepy and didn't know what to do. Generally, I woke up fairly easy. Today, I think, I was just enjoying my bed far too much to want to leave it. I drew in a deep breath before an enormous yawn wafted out of my open mouth.

"Maybe you know how Kanda feels now," I shrugged. Lavi looked up at me with the tears still streaking down his face and sniffled.

"What's that supposed to mean!" he wailed.

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked with my face and voice completely void of emotion. Lavi's tears suddenly stopped and he stood upright. The look on his face was earnest, as if he were about to ask me a very serious question.

"Emi, will you please handle Amaury today? I can't deal with him for another minute," he said, a hint of guilt tugging down on his eyebrows.

At first I was a little shocked by this. He was really trying to pawn the kid off on me! I wasn't the one who was good with children; he was. Then I looked into his request a little further. I was initially the one who promised Amaury that we would help him. I'd volunteered us to handle the task. It really wasn't Lavi or Kanda's responsibility. I was the one who put us all in the situation of having the abandoned French boy tag along with us. Thus, I heaved a defeated sigh and nodded.

"Alright, I'll take care of it. I'll find a place for him to stay here until his parents are found." Little did I know, Amaury was on the other side of my door still with his ear pressed against the wood. I didn't know that mine and Lavi's conversation was making the child feel as if no one wanted him around. I, of all people, know how it feels to be stuck with people who don't really want you. My father had virtually abandoned me with my sick mother before I was even ten years-old.

Lavi thanked me and went to leave the room. When he opened the door, Amaury had already rushed away. Once I found myself alone again, another large yawn escaped me. I threw the blankets off of my lap and swung my feet over the side of my bed so that I could rise and go gather my supplies I'd need to properly bathe myself. I was really so excited to have a normal shower again and I probably took longer than I should have in there. When I got out, there was more banging on my door. Wrapped in my towel, I hurried over and opened it just wide enough to peek out into the hall. It was Kanda with his trademark scowl on his face.

"Why aren't you dressed and ready to get to work?" he instantly demanded of me. I just blinked at him. Was he serious? I was trying to keep a neutral standing as far as my opinion of Kanda went, but he was making me dislike him, and I couldn't help it. Maybe, eventually, I'd just get used to it like everyone else, but his attitude irked me.

"I was taking a shower, Kanda. Calm down," I said flatly. My response only seemed to make him all the more irritated.

"You need to hurry up and find a place for the boy. We've got to get moving or we'll lose track of General Tiedoll entirely."

"We don't even really have track of the general," I groaned, but once I looked at Kanda's stern face, I rolled my eyes. "Bene, saro fuori in un minuto [Fine, I'll be out in a minute]. Have Lavi make sure Amaury is ready to go," I instructed. His dark eyes widened for a moment as if he couldn't believe I was telling him to do something, but he turned and walked off. "That boy has some attitude," I muttered to myself. If I didn't know better and it wasn't for his stature, I would have assumed that he was a female from behind, with his long swaying ponytail that was oddly well-groomed and the heated bounce in his step. I just shook my head and closed my door. Within fifteen minutes, I was ready to go.

Once I found myself alone with Amaury, I couldn't help but notice that the child seemed a little distracted. The sun was shining down on us now but it was still well before noon. The crisp chill of the morning still clung to the air as we made out way through the market place.

"Well, do you want to stop and eat breakfast?" I asked him. He turned his head away from me and scowled. I was a little taken aback. It seemed that all the men in my life were being moody and emotional today. Then a stubborn frown spread across my lips. "That's no way to treat someone who's offering you food, you know," I said flatly through my pouted lips. I watched as Amaury's shoulders caved slightly. When he turned to look at me, small tears were welled in his eyes causing me to rear back even more. _Oh no_, I thought, _emotions! I'm no good with emotions!_

"Emi! Why can't I just stay with you! You're so much nicer than my real mommy! I just want to be with you and Laviiiii~!" he wailed at me. If I reared back any farther, I would have fallen backwards. My heart was pounding in my ears and my face turned bright red. Was Amaury really asking me to be his new mother?

"I-I-I-I.. W-well, ah," I began to stammer. The look on my face was that of utter fear and nervousness. How was I supposed to say no to that face? He had the biggest brown puppy eyes and the cutest curls and his little French accent- he just seemed like a little angel and I didn't want to upset him anymore. Not to mention the stares I was starting to get from people. I was only six or seven years older than him. At seventeen, I definitely didn't want to be anyone's mother. Even though I'd already been guilty of having daydreams about having children someday, that day wasn't any time in the foreseeable future for me. I couldn't even see myself kissing a guy, let alone reproducing with one!

The look on Amaury's face just looked hopeful and the intensity of his puppy eyes grew nearly double. I wanted to throw my arms in front of my face and shield myself from his begging expression, but I didn't. Instead, my flustered face looked left and right before I grabbed his hand and tugged him over to a little cafe that had wooden seating set up outside. Spinning him around, I put my hands firmly on his shoulders and gave him an earnest look.

"Stay here," I said to him before pushing against his body so that he'd sit down. I kept a hold of him so that he wouldn't fall, but once he was seated, I let go and hurried inside. As soon as the door closed behind me, my entire form wilted as a sigh slithered from my lungs. "Cosa dovrei fare? Vorrei che mia madre fosse qui... [What am I supposed to do? I wish my mother were here...]" I said in my native tongue. I had been speaking in English a lot, since it was the language that was spoken most at headquarters, and I'd been trying to avoid remembering my home. Today, however, it seemed that my Italian roots were returning to me. Maybe that was a good thing, though. Being in France must have reminded me how diverse the world was and how important knowing who you are was. Anyway, I just shook my head slightly and approached the counter. I ordered a few pastries for Amaury and a glass of milk before I returned to him. I waited until he was calm, after he'd taken a few bites of his bear claw pastry and washed it down with his milk.

"Amaury, you do understand who I am, don't you?" I asked hesitantly. The boy pouted out his bottom lip and swung his feet. His eyes looked this way and that before they looked back down at his breakfast as he hung his head.

"You're Emi," he said simply.

"No, I'm not just 'Emi,'" I said to him with a frown. He was just being stubborn now because he wanted to get his way, and I knew it. "I'm an-"

"You're a pretty girl who is kind and loving and you would be a great mommy to me!" he blurted, his eyes snapping back up to look at me. They were full of pain and it really made my heart sink. I closed my eyes and bowed my head for a moment before I placed on a stern mask and looked back to him.

"No, Amaury. Listen to me; I'm an exorcist. You do know what that means? My life is full of danger! I can't have you in the middle of all that," I tried to reason with him. The boy jumped to his feet and threw his breakfast down at mine.

"You just want to leave me! Just like my REAL mommy!" he screamed at me. Before I could say anything else, he took off into the street. I quickly rose to my feet and chased after him.

"Amaury! Wait! Please!" I called, but he weaved his way in and out of the crowd and jetted off down a corner. By the time I caught up to where I last saw him, he was gone. This particular street was much more empty than the crowded one I'd just maneuvered myself through. In fact, it almost resembled an ally to me. It was almost like the place where I'd met Tyki, to be honest. I didn't know how I kept ending up in places like this separated from my team. A weary look came to my features as I walked quietly down the ally. "Amaaaury~! Please come out! I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" I cooed. I knew if Kanda were there, he'd likely punch me in the back of the head. If Amaury ran away, that should have been the answer to our problem of finding him a place to go. However, I just couldn't abandon a small boy in a town he was unfamiliar with, so I continued to look for him.

I made my way deeper into what appeared to be a residential district of the town. It looked as if a fire had demolished the buildings because they were charred and abandoned. A chill ran up my spine and I hugged myself to try to get it to go away.

"Come on, now. I wish you wouldn't hide in a place like this! It can't possibly be safe, and it's sort of scaring me a little," I said, the last half of my words coming out as a mutter. I rounded another corner to find myself at a dead end, but that was where I saw him. I blinked in surprise to see the boy hunched over, hugging his knees as he sobbed behind a trash can. Slowly, I approached. "A..maury...?" I questioned silently.

"W-what do you w-want?" he sniffled. I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder with the same hesitation I had been using with him all morning. As contact was made, his body began to quiver. "W-why did you come after m-me? You just w-want to ab-bandon me... LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" The last of his words were said as a loud yell, but the tone of his voice fell into that of one that resembled a monster.

I quickly stumbled backwards as the boy rose to his feet. His eyes were glowing a fiery indigo color and he began to take large slow steps towards me. As he did, the pink pigment of his skin faded and turned gray before my eyes. His ears grew large and round and his body became jagged like a cliff's edge. Before I knew what was going on, I had a monstrous gray ape-like akuma towering over me, standing at about eight feet in height.

"Ooooh, mia Dio... [Ooooh, my God...]" I murmured as my tiny eyes shook in place while I gazed up at him. The akuma heaved a deep heavy breaths. Without being given any time to react, he lunged at me, his shoulder connecting hard with my hips before he stood upright, scooping me up and leaping high into the air to the rooftops. I must have screamed, but I don't think anyone heard me because we were in a well abandoned part of the town. He'd led me into a trap. The boy that I thought was so sweet and innocent was nothing more than a monstrous demon. Then again, Amaury wasn't the only male I knew who was living a double life, but that thought would occur to me later, when my life wasn't in danger.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut as we bounded through the air. Heights were something that I definitely wasn't a big fan of and my stomach was starting to turn. I had to gather my composure if I was going to live. Timidly, I remembered part of my training. "I-Innocence, activate!" I peeped. My brass knuckles light up green for a moment and, while my face was pointed towards the ground, I punched hard upward which sent us plummeting towards the cobblestone streets below.

A loud explosion resulted from our crash landing, and it didn't feel very great. Bruised, my arms shook as I forced myself upward, rubble rolling off of my back and clinging to my hair. The ape-demon was laying next to me in a large crater. Apparently, the crash had stunned him for a moment. When my breath caught up to me, I made an attempt to climb to my feet. This residential district was like a large maze, and the more distance I could put in between myself and Amaury, the better. I had never seen an akuma look like anything other than a large sea mine in the sky before. Something told me I wouldn't be able to take him on myself. I had to figure out a way to get help. As I ran, I began to panic. Kanda was totally right; I couldn't handle any of this alone!

A large shadow suddenly appeared above me. I skid to a stop and looked upward to see the akuma coming down at me, it's legs spread with one fist balled into the other like it was going to squish me like a bug! My eyes widened in diameter but my pupils shrunk in fear. I did the only thing I could think of that would move me quick enough and that was thrust my anti-akuma weapon forward. I flung far head with the power of my momentum, but my fist struck a wall of one of the damaged buildings. The wall shattered and then the roof slid down. That was it: if the guys were still in the hotel, they'd be able to see the buildings falling down. As Amaury rose from the new crater he'd created, I turned, panting.

"Really? Is that all you GOT!" I asked, feeling my nerves split at the ends as my fake bravery spouted. "I bet you're faster than that! Come and get me!" I challenged before I took off running again. Every time I turned a corner, I threw a punch and sent another building crashing down before me. That was bound to get SOMEONE'S attention eventually! But, by the time the sixth building collapsed, I was finding myself exhausted. They had warned me about my stamina, and I think it was fading quick because I couldn't control how much energy I was using. When I went to strike the seventh building, only a mere crack ran up the brick siding. I paused, the panic catching up to me as well as the akuma.

"Crap!" I chimed to myself, spinning around and placing my palms on either side of me against the wall. Amaury stepped up to me slowly. There was drool leaking out of the side of his mouth, frothing slightly as he seethed in anger at me. He stepped closer, and closer. I closed my eyes and turned my head away from him. This was it. I was surely going to die. I felt his breath on my face. "L...Lavi..." I murmured. I think I felt a tear seep out of my eye. Then a loud crashing sound came down around me and, for sure this time, a scream escaped my lungs.

I had been expecting to feel pain, or nothing at all. I had been expecting my life to be over, but I was alive. The crashing I had heard, when I opened my eyes, was Lavi's giant hammer colliding with the ape-demon and sending him flying as far from me as the ruins of houses would allow. Then, the red-haired exorcist landed gracefully next to me. He turned to me and gave me a quick salute with an encouraging smile on his face before he turned again and took off in a charge towards the akuma.

I felt my heart stop. The entire little gesture he'd made registered in slow-motion to me. My small hands were clenched tightly in front of me as the frightened look slowly melted away. It was as if I'd just seem some sort of one-eyed, hammer-wielding angel land next to me and smile at me in all its glory. What brought me back to reality was the slim shadow that flashed above me, also headed toward the akuma. I just so happened to look up in time to catch an annoyed glance from none other than Kanda. It was then that I fell to my knees. My body hurt from crashing into so many solid objects and my energy was drained from using my Innocence. It was then that I looked down at my clenched hands. They flickered green for a moment, then the light was gone. I'd used up all my energy.

"I'm not... gunna... mak-" I began to say, but before I could finish, my world went black. My body went limp and fell to the side as I fainted there in the ally.

When I awoke, it was dark outside once more. I found myself bandaged and back at the inn we'd been staying in the night before. I was in a different room, though. Confused, I tried to sit up.

"Don't you dare," came a rather serious voice. I squeaked a little as I was startled and drew my blanket up close around my face, but when my head snapped to the side and a jolt of pain tinged in my neck, I discovered a banged up Lavi seated on the bed next to me. His gave was, in fact, rather somber for a moment, but then it turned into a worn smile. "I was really worried you weren't going to make it, Bright Eyes," he said. He sounded so tired and I felt guilty.

"W-what happened?" I asked. A sudden feeling of guilt washed over me. I had been completely useless to them as part of the team. I caused nothing but trouble and let them down.

"It turns out, Amaury was an akuma," he said.

"Oh? You think I didn't notice that much?" I said, closing my eyes as I frowned. I heard Lavi let out a trite sigh and my frown only intensified.

"I know, Emi. You really are lucky, though. Being a rooky, you managed to survive an attack of a level two akuma. I'm really proud of you for being able to signal me and Kanda," he explained gently. I opened my eyes back up and looked over at him, my face stoic for a moment as I examined his. He was covered in scratches and bruises and had a large bandage on his cheek. My mind remembered the smile he'd given me before he took off. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: that could have been the very last time I ever saw him. One of us could have died. I couldn't take it anymore, I tossed the blankets off of me. Lavi rose to his feet when he saw me struggling to get to mine.

"Emi, don't! You really need-" We met in the middle of the room. My arms wrapped tightly around his mid-section. It was then I realized I was in a nightgown and that my hair was down, loose all around me. His arms moved upward to avoid getting locked in my embrace and I nuzzled my face hard against his chest. I felt my body tense and tremble for a moment. A sob was rising in my throat, but I forced it back down which only resulting in an embarrassing squeak. It was then that his arms came back down and soothingly hugged me back. We stood like that for a few long silent moments. I even felt him sway me left and right a little, the way a mother would hold a scared child. When I found my voice, I balled my hands up against his chest and pushed him back so that I could look up at him. He was a good five or six inches taller than me, after all.

"Lavi! I was so scared!" I admitted in almost a whisper. I felt my face pale and suddenly my throat felt really dry. He looked down at me with an almost startled look on his own face. I knew he was wondering to himself if he was dreaming or not, because I was always so stubborn and tried to keep up a facade that I was tough and fearless, but, luckily, he used his brain for that moment and just placed his hand on the back of my head and lightly pulled my face back into his chest.

"I know, I know, trust me. As an exorcist, we've all been there. It's what we've got to deal with every day, you know? I'm not even entirely used to it by now. You just gotta learn to avoid thinking negatively. Use your adrenaline to your advantage when you start to panic, and always envision yourself coming out alive."

I didn't say anything else. I just nodded. His hands moved in a comforting circular motion on my back and I just let myself melt into him. It was so... bolstering just to feel him there with me and hear his words of encouragement.

I'm not sure how many prolonged moments passed, but suddenly, I jumped out of my skin as I heard a small cough come from the doorway. I jumped and shoved Lavi really hard away from me and I knew my face was instantly crimson. I could even feel my pulse in the tops of my ears. In the doorway stood a small nurse with droopy wrinkly skin. She had her head cocked at me like some sort of curious animal.

"Oh, hello, Miss Lazzarani! You shouldn't be out of bed, you know! Lavi, I told you not to let her get up!" the old woman scolded. Lavi, who had fallen backward and tripped over his head, just groaned with spirals in his eyes.

"Oops, I'm so sorry, Lavi!" I apologized. The nurse just chortled and held out my pajamas folded in her arms.

"I figured you'd be awake by now so I brought you something more comfortable to sleep in. I knew you probably wouldn't be comfortable in that old thing I changed you into, but your uniform was far too dirty to let you rest in at the time," she explained. "Come along, Lavi, let her change," she said, snatching the one-eyed boy up by his ear and dragging him out of the room.

"OW OW OW! Let me go, ya old hag!" he screeched. I just chuckled as the door closed behind them. What a crazy day! And I bet Kanda wasn't the least bit happy about staying at the inn for another night.

* * *

Author's Note:

So I thought it would be fun in this chapter to incorporate some Italian, since that's Emi's first language. I'm using Google Translate to do so, so the translations aren't 100% accurate. It's all for fun, though!

PS: Sorry it's been so long  
Also, a friend of mine did an edit on a picture to make it look like Emi and I wanted to share it!  
**http: /tinyurl. com /3w9qv89**

Just remove the spaces before the /'s and "com"


	9. Afternoon Perspective

By the following afternoon, Kanda was anxious to get moving again. Normally, I think Lavi and I would have protested some more, but after our run-in with the level two akuma disguised as the sweet little French boy, Amaury, I think we just wanted to leave the small valley town behind us. If Tiedoll was still moving about, he could very well be moving away from us. I was still feeling a little exhausted, but I had two days to rest in a nice bed and get real meals and real baths, so complaining wasn't at all on the top of my list of things to do. Now, we were back in the forest and it was just past midday. Kanda was, again, walking far ahead of Lavi and I, but my head was off in the clouds somewhere.

"Emi," Lavi finally broke the silence after about half an hour. "I know that each battle we have against an akuma is taxing. You're feeling torn right now, aren't you?" he asked. He had approached me with unusual tenderness, so I looked at him with bright puzzled eyes. He was normally so loud and obnoxious, but his comical personality was one of the things I adored about being around him. When he was being himself, it was almost impossible for me to feel anything but happy. It was like I could feel his energy radiate out of him and dance across my skin like rays of sunshine on a clear summer day. These heavy moments, though, I'm not sure if I liked very much, but I knew he was just worried, and Lavi really was a good friend. At least, that's what I thought I believed, anyway. His argument with Bookman still hadn't faded completely from my mind. Finally, though, I just shrugged.

"I know that... the akuma are tormented souls used as weapons, but the ones I've encountered before were empty. They only had the faces of real people. Amaury... he was so... alive," I said, my eyes falling to the ground as we walked. "I sort of just feel like we killed a little boy, regardless of what he really was," I added. Out of the corner of my eye, Lavi nodded in agreement.

"I think I can put your nerves at ease, though. While you were resting, I went around asking information about him. I think I figured out how he became an akuma in the first place. It's a sad story and all, but I think it'll help you get a little closure. Do you want to hear it?" he asked me. I perked up again and looked back at him. I thought back to when I first met Lavi. The akuma we'd fought wore my mother's face, but inside, the soul of my brother had been trapped and was suffering. By destroying the akuma, I knew I put their souls to rest and that they were happier. Had Amaury been the same? I nodded.

"Well, it turns out that the town we were just in suffered from an outbreak of some sort of disease, like a plague or something. A lot of the people got sick and all of the townspeople began to worry about the disease spreading. When their doctors couldn't find a cure, and the number of deaths began to climb, some of the people there decided to take matters into their own hands. They rioted rounded up all the ill and forced them into the center of that distract where their old hospital was and then set the entire area ablaze."

"No!" I gasped, my eyes growing large. "They burned people alive?" I asked in terror. With a solemn look on his face, Bookman Jr. nodded.

"Amaury used to live in a small orphanage in that district. His parents dumped him off when he was about three years old because they couldn't afford to take care of him. From what I understand, he had a friend named Linus that lived there with him. Linus had been one of the many children that was cursed with the plague. Amaury barely escaped the fire and hid in the streets. Rioters searched high and low for him and others that had tried to sneak away. He was one of the only people from the incident to make it out of the town and he hid up in the forest."

"That poor boy," I uttered quietly as I listened to Lavi tell Amaury's tale. It was so sad to me to think that he was old enough to remember his parents abandoning him. No wonder he was so attached to us...

"In the forest is where the Earl showed himself," he went on.

"The Millennium Earl?" I asked, trying to remember all of the information that had been fed to me about the evil man who created and controlled the akuma. Lavi nodded.

"He convinced Amaury that he could bring Linus back to life. All Amaury would have to do is call out his friend's name. When he did, Linus's skeleton rose from the dead, took Amaury's life, and his body. I guess there have been reports in this area of people going missing for a few years now. Amaury has been stalking travelers and attacking them. That's how he got to be a level two and become more powerful and more self-aware. Linus's soul was suffering in Amaury's body and even took on Amaury's persona."

I didn't know what to say. It was truly one of the saddest stories I'd ever heard, but I was glad that I'd heard it. It made me feel less like a contributor to murder. It wasn't murder at all, what we did, it was...

"Exorcism," I sighed quietly. Then, I jumped with a start as Lavi's hand landed on my shoulder.

"Hey, it's a pretty serious job, but what we do is a good thing," he said with a broad grin and a thumbs up. I forced a weak smile back at him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I agreed with him.

"You know, when the akuma was destroyed, Linus's soul ascended. He thanked Kanda and I before he disappeared. He also wanted us to tell you he was sorry," he added, a confused look on his face as he crossed his arms in front of him and furrowed his brow. "What did he do other than what akuma normally do?" he wondered.

I just blinked for a moment. Was Lavi really having a hard time trying to figure out why the soul of a little boy would be apologizing to me?

"Well, he did deceive me and try to kill me," I pointed out the obvious.

"True," Lavi said with a curt, almost scientific nod. It definitely didn't suit him, but I just rolled my eyes.

"He also begged me to act as a replacement mother for him. I think he knew what he was asking was impossible. All he wanted was someone to care about him," I went on, my shoulders wilting slightly in guilt. I wish I could have done something more for him, but I didn't do anything at all.

"Emi, you showed him kindness that he hadn't seen for his whole life, even as a human. We're going to run into situations like that a lot with akuma. They never have happy tales to tell," he said with a small frown.

"I... I guess I should have known that. I'm going to have to learn to make peace with this every time, though, I think. Even though it's good, what we do, something about it still seems a little wrong to me," I said, another long breath escaping my lungs. Lavi just gave me a knowing smile again.

"It's all part of being a rookie," he said, almost as if he were trying to lighten the mood and tease me a little. I just gave him a droll stare.

"Well, then I'd rather stay a rookie forever than lose my sense of compassion," I said to him in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Heeey! I still have compassion!" he argued.

"For what? Braiding Kanda's hair when he's sleeping? More like, you've got a death wish," I added. It was true; hours before we began walking again I woke up to Lavi screaming. He'd snuck into Kanda's room before the Japanese exorcist woke up and thought it would be funny to braid his hair again, but this time, in pigtails. Of course, Kanda didn't hesitate to jump up and kick Lavi through the door, knocking it off its hinges as he drew his mugen and shoved it towards Lavi's Adam's apple. I don't even really know how Lavi managed to wake up before sunrise, seeing how he was usually the last one ready to go anywhere.

"Yuu's just gotta learn to lighten up!" Lavi replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"I know I didn't just hear you say my name again, Baka-Usagi!" a growl came from ahead of us. I hadn't noticed, but Kanda had stopped and let us sort of catch up to him. I pursed my lips to suppress my laughter as Lavi's face paled.

"No no! Of course not! You should get your hearing checked!" Lavi lied, a nervous laugh slithering from in between his teeth.

"You," Kanda said to me. I blinked and looked taken aback again. I thought I was going to get lectured again, but I couldn't recall anything wrong I'd done since his last lecture. "Drop your pack and come with me. Lavi, set up for lunch," he instructed. Lavi's jaw dropped as he hunched over in disbelief. He began to protest, but I slipped my pack off and gently shoved it at him to stop him from annoying Kanda any more. If I was going to be alone with my dear monster of a tour guide, I wanted him to be in as close to a good mood as I could possibly get him. His grumpy attitude was really wearing on and I left Lavi in a clearing and made our way into a slightly denser part of the forest. I found myself climbing up a steep hill that could almost be considered a cliff. Kanda waited with more patience than I really expected of him. When I caught up to him finally, we simply sat down and stared at me until I did so as well.

"What's all this about?" I asked curiously. His face was the way it usually was: slightly annoyed and unpleasantly in appearance, but he didn't seem mad like I thought he might be. This left me extremely confused because I couldn't think of why he would want to sit with me one on one.

"You are aware of who you are now, aren't you?" he asked. I felt my heart sink a little. So he was going to lecture me, after all, and it sounded oddly familiar as I had began a conversation with Amaury very similar to this.

"You mean, an exorcist?" I asked. There was an odd tone to my voice, the way a child would respond to their parents when they were aware they were being patronized. Kanda closed his eyes to a second as if to agree, though he didn't not at all. "Alright, so... what?" I asked, feeling all the more confused. His dark eyes sprang back open and nearly made me jump out of my skin. Why did he have to be so creepy sometimes!

"Being an exorcist is like being an elite soldier. We're faced with very serious trials every day of our lives. Your life will constantly be on the line. You have to become accustomed to this. I don't know or even care to know what's going on between you and _Usagi_, but you should be cautious of how close you get to people. Any of us could be here one day, and gone the next."

I just blinked at Kanda for a moment. He had completely caught me off guard and I couldn't decide if his words offended me or if they were really in my best interest. It did take me a moment, however, to realize what he was hinting at. A look of bewilderment found its way to my face once more as my cheeks turned maroon.

"Lavi is just my friend, Kanda-!"

"I told you I don't care to know-"

"And if my life's going to be on the line, I'd like to know that I lived it to the fullest and had people who cared about me-"

"People who will be hurt should you die-"

"Why do you always have to be so negative-!"

"Why do you have to be so naive-!"

"I'm not naive! I just have a heart! Isn't there anyone you've met who you consider your true friend!" I demanded. We'd both lost our tempers for a moment, but there was a hint of something on Kanda's face that was only there for a brief moment before his features fell stoic again. I think my question may have struck a nerve and I blinked at him again with another puzzled look. Again, his eyes closed, and he looked away from me for a moment.

"_Che_, do what you want. I was just offering you some advice. _Usagi's _been around long enough to know to distance himself. Don't let his act completely fool you. He's a Bookman, after all," he said coldly. My mouth his and a frown spread across it as my eyebrows caved in. Why did Kanda feel like he had to be so mean and get in the last word. Was that really what he brought me out here to talk about? Did everyone for the Black Order really only pretend to care about each other? My heart sank into my stomach at that thought. I didn't want to think I was surrounded by a bunch of heartless goal-driven monsters posing as people. I thought that's what we were out destroying!

"Cross your legs," he said to me suddenly. I scowled up at him, confusion weaving its way through my unhappy face. "Just do it." A huff escaped me, but I complied without arguing. I didn't want to talk to him anymore. "Now, you've got all those distractions on your mind? About your future and all of your other useless worries? Meditate on them."

"What?" I asked, my brow twisting in confusion.

"Meditate," he repeated. He closed his own eyes again and fell silent. I looked around us, still confused. Why were we meditating? Hadn't we decided that all the training I would need from that point out would be administered by Tiedoll when we met with him? Then again, I had nearly died because we were attacked by an akuma and I still had no training. Perhaps that was a motive for Kanda's odd behavior. I can't believe he didn't seem mad at me for that. A small tinge of pride sprouted in my heart. Could he possibly have been impressed by me that I hadn't died? After all, Lavi had told me how lucky I'd been...

I settled into, wiggling this way and that as I crossed my legs and closed my eyes to start meditating. I found myself thinking about Amaury again. I still couldn't help but feel guilty for having to destroy him, even though I knew it was for the best and he was in a better place. More guilt came to me as I thought about my mother. She'd been alive as an akuma for years, but she'd never quite been very strong. She'd been suffering for so long like that, and I had been the one to finally put her to rest myself. That was the same day Lavi came into my life. That was the day I gained a purpose for myself. I couldn't believe my mother had suffered for so long. I wanted to go to the Order and I wanted to become an exorcist so that others wouldn't have to suffer the way my mother and brother had to. So, no, I guess I shouldn't feel guilt over Amaury. I should feel happiness. Well, that was all well and good, wasn't it?

There was the other issue that Kanda brought up: my feelings towards Lavi. I'd already clearly established to myself that he was my best friend and that I cared for him. I even found myself feeling like I needed him, and there was that little fluttery feeling in my lungs whenever I thought about him. I guess I did like him. When Amaury had asked Lavi if he and I were in a relationship together, I'd laughed it off as a crazy idea, but it really got me wondering if such an idea was plausible or not. Did I really have those feelings for Lavi or did I just depend on him because he was the one who handed me a new identity when my old one was lost?

Over the past few weeks, I'd cried more times than I had since my brother died when I was eight. Ren always teased me about being a cry baby, so, after the small funeral we had for him, I swore I wouldn't cry anymore. I'd done a pretty good job of keeping my emotions under control over the past nine years, or suppressed anyway. Lavi was the only one who'd seen me so vulnerable, and I trusted him. I told him he was my best friend, and I truly felt that way. The day dreams of redheaded kids running around and the odd feelings I got were just confusing me. Maybe it was just because I wasn't really sure what to think? During my first few days in the Order, I'd gotten pretty giddy on account of the one-eyed exorcist, but perhaps I was just excited to be feeling anything. My life had been so routine and lonely and things were changing. Maybe the crush I thought I had was just based on excitement, like new-puppy syndrome.

Then Bookman's argument with Lavi came back to mind. _"As if I would," _he'd told his grandfather. That is, as if he would get too close to me. He'd told Bookman he was just being nice to me since he was the one who dragged me to headquarters. Then Lavi told me that he was just saying what he had to in order to appease Bookman, and that I was special and he felt he had to protect me, so what did that mean? Which story was true? Kanda said that Lavi knew he had to distance himself. All this "Bookman business" was driving me crazy. Did Lavi have real feelings and friends or not? Was it all just a big front he put on to make his life easier? Was he really heartless enough to say I was his best friend if he didn't mean it?

Not to mention the night I'd met Tyki and stayed out late. Lavi had gotten so weird about that. I couldn't tell if he was jealous or not, or just mad because I hadn't been talking to him. All of these thoughts just kept clouding my mind. Maybe that was why Kanda forced them all to come up. They really were distracting me, hanging out in the back of my head. Surely if I made peace with my thoughts, then I would be able to react with much more ease under pressure. Although, I wouldn't be able to if I didn't settle where my feelings were and what I was going to do with myself.

All those times that I found myself with tears staining my face and Lavi's arms around me were the last thought to come to me. It was like someone had ripped a down-pillow in half and these thoughts and memories were the last few feathers to settle after the explosion of fuzz finally rested on the floor. They were the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak, only this camel's back wasn't broken. It was merely laying down to rest, peacefully.

I don't know how much time had passed, but I finally opened my eyes. I really did feel a lot better. My mind felt clear and my stress felt like it had been lifted. I was an exorcist. I was going to make sure souls didn't have to suffer anymore, and I wasn't going to feel guilty about it. I had made peace with who I was, and where my heart was.

It took me a moment to realize that Kanda was up and he was standing a few feet away with his back leaned against a large tree. His arms were crossed and his eyes were watching me with a calculating look to them. I gave him a droll stare.

"Do you ever realize how creepy you are sometimes?" I finally asked as I got up and dusted myself off. "How long were you just standing there watching me?"

"Long enough. Hopefully you'll be more aware of your surroundings from now on. Let's head back before _Usagi _comes looking for us." With that, he pushed himself away from the tree and leapt off the side of out mini-cliff and was on his way through the trees.

By the time we'd reached the clearing, Lavi had our little camp completely set up and a stew going over the fire for lunch. I hardly came into view before I felt him bounding toward me, his arms draping over my shoulders as he hugged me like a large goofy child who'd been missing his mother.

"Eeeeemi~!" he whined. "What took you guys so long!" he demanded, fake waterfall-like tears streaming form his eyes. I just gave him a small smile and patted him on the back before pushing him back a little. I had one hand on his shoulder, the other up near my face with the knuckle of my index finger just under my bottom lip as I rose a brow at him.

"You don't have to be so dramatic, Lavi," I teased. As I did so, his jaw dropped. I only laughed though. "Kanda just wanted me to meditate. It really helped. I think I feel a lot better about Amaury and stuff now, and I feel a little rested. You won't have to carry me anywhere tonight," I said, poking fun at myself as I took another step back away from him so that I could take in his entire appearance. His tears stopped and be blinked down at me, his green eye sparkling with confusion. A soft smile just spread across my face. Yes, I was definitely certain of where my heart was now. I would have to thank Kanda later for forcing me to gather some perspective.

* * *

Author's Note

Another day, another update. I'm really sorry my update schedule for this story is so spastic. I think I'm going to pick a single day a week to post updates from now on- or two days. Possibly two days! We'll have to see. Anyways, this chapter was mostly reflective. I had to go back and re-read all of the old chapters to get a grasp of what's happened so far, and I thought it was time for Emi to sort of figure a few things out for herself. I also know they've been searching for Tiedoll since chapter three or four, so I'm going to try to wrap this mission up soon -lessthanthree-


	10. Death and Rebirth

Another four days or so passed, and Kanda had really lightened up about trying to make me learn how to rough it for my survival. I think I'd proven that I could hunt if I needed to and I knew which plants were safe to eat and which ones weren't. I'd also mastered navigating without a compass or anything. I felt like a natural scout and I was proud of myself! Our traveling went back to normal, or what I supposed was normal. Up until that point, I hadn't done much exploring away from my home town aside from my trip via train to the Black Order's headquarters. How, we were sticking to roads and passing through small towns and villages. The French countryside was so pretty, and I was actually starting to enjoy my trip. Every afternoon before we had lunch, Kanda and I sparred to keep in shape. Sometimes Lavi would help me train with my Innocence, but they seemed more concerned about my stamina. Then, after dinner, before we went to sleep, I had meditation sessions with Kanda. Even Lavi was trying to focus on meditating, but he would often get distracted or bored. I felt like our team was really coming together and functioning. Even Kanda's threats on Lavi's life were becoming fewer and farther in between. I was a little shocked when we came up on a relatively moderate-sized town and Kanda stopped in his tracks.

"We're here," he said in his usual flat stoic tone.

"What!" Lavi burst out. "You mean you had a destination this entire time! I thought we were aimlessly wandering!"

Kanda shot him one of his trademark "irritated glances." I blinked in surprise. Kanda hadn't shared with Lavi or me as to where our destination was. We thought we were just tracking Tiedoll blindly and he never bothered to correct us on the matter.

"So, General Tiedoll is here?" I asked, amber eyes blinking up at the little town that rested at the end of the dirt road our worn boots stood on. I shifted awkwardly in place as a nervous feeling crept up my spine. Suddenly, I didn't feel so confident. I didn't know what to expect out of the General and I didn't know what I should expect of myself, either. Would I be acceptable to him or not? What if he didn't see me fit to be a real exorcist? Would they take my uniform back from me and send me packing?

I felt my brow twitch a little as the worry surfaced on my face. Lavi, who I often forgot was as observant as he was, didn't miss the small tic. When I saw his head turn in my direction from the corner of my eye, I did my best to make my face as serene as it had been moments before, but I don't think I pulled it off very well. His hand suddenly came down gently on my shoulder, as it often did when he felt I needed the encouragement. The movement also caught Kanda's attention and he looked in our direction with a hint of curiosity playing on his permanently-scowling face.

"Don't get nervous, Emi. I'm sure you and Tiedoll will get along great, isn't that right, Yuu?" Lavi asked. Kanda's curiosity fled from his face as he glared at Lavi and bared his teeth like some sort of wolf. Then, he just crossed his arms and turned his head with his classic, "_che_." I blinked again and felt myself calm a little. From what I'd learned at that point, that was Kanda's way of agreeing without having to actually agree. Still, I shrugged Lavi's hand from my shoulder.

"What? I'm not nervous at all! I'm just excited! We've been on the road so long! I was starting to think we'd never find this guy!" I said arrogantly, trying to mask the fact that I was feeling insecure. My pride really is something of a monster sometimes. This was a big life-changing event for me, and I didn't want to seem weak or scared. With my hands on my hips, I began to march forward into the town with my head held high. Behind me, both of the guys just blinked. They hadn't expected the outburst of denial, but then Lavi just grinned and Kanda's face fell flat again.

After we got into town, I let Kanda resume leading the way. After all, I had no idea who I was looking for or what to expect. The town was rather lively, but it was midday so I should have expected that. The people seemed happy and cheerful as they went about their day. Some of the towns we'd gone through had been rather gloomy. Some suffered from drought, famine, and plague, but this one seemed to be doing relatively well. It was almost a relief to see smiling faces again. The atmosphere itself made me feel much more relaxed.

Kanda continued to march in the front of our trio. He seemed to be a little on edge as his eyes shifted this way and that as he looked through the crowds.

"What's going on with Kanda?" I whispered to Lavi. Lavi was walking next to me with his arms up and hands resting on the back of his head. He looked down at me thoughtfully before he began to explain.

"The Generals are all supposed to report back to headquarters regularly, but they've all been a little more rebellious later. Some of them we can't even get a hold of. Tiedoll and another General named Yeegar are some of the only ones that we've managed to keep in contact with, but it's only because they both enjoy training new exorcists. Tiedoll trained Yuu and that's why he's a little edgy. There aren't really very many people Yuu has respect for; Tiedoll's one of those few."

"You better quit using his name so loud," I cautioned Lavi. "The last thing we need is the two of you causing a scene right now," I said, a serious look on my face. He tilted his head at me again, but I kept the look up firmly. He sighed and closed his eyes before putting his nose in the air comically.

"Fiiiine, I see how it is! Don't worry, I won't ruined Tiedoll's impression of you. It's really not at all as serious as you think though," he tried to tell me, but the entire situation breathed seriousness to me. "If anything, he'll be excited because you're a cute girl. He hasn't trained any female exorcists in a while," he added thoughtfully. I sent a scowl in his direction. I didn't believe a General for the Black Order would be as shallow as to just accept me because of my appearance. Mind you, this is way before the day I met Cross.

Our search ended up falling short and Kanda was annoyed again. After an hour or so, we decided to head into the inn and check in so we could go find something to eat for a late lunch, or early dinner, however you'd like to look at it. It was right after we'd reached the third floor of the inn when Kanda stopped in front of us. I stopped behind him, just avoiding crashing into him, but Lavi completely ran into me which knocked me forward into Kanda causing the Japanese exorcist to shoot a venomous look down at me.

"Don't look at me like that!" I blurted before I could stop myself. "You're the one who abruptly stopped," I added, realizing that snapping at Kanda was probably one of the last things I wanted to do today.

"Yeah, why'd you stop anyways?" Lavi asked as he scratched his head full of brightly red hair.

"I think I know where Tiedoll is," Kanda said, again, not saying much more. I was getting a little impatient, but I think it's because I was still unsure about how my meeting with Tiedoll was going to go.

"And where would that be...?" I asked. He glanced at me again but threw his bags down in the hall and just started moving again. "You know, I don't find your mysteriousness to be at all tough or intimidating!" I called after him. Lavi began to snicker behind me, so I turned and shoved him (playfully) and tossed my bags down so I could jog and catch up with Kanda. Lavi was right behind me.

We went up two more flights of stairs before we found ourselves outside of a door labeled "roof."

"The roof?" I inquired.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense," Lavi said with a nod.

"What? How does that make any sense?" I asked. Lavi just beamed at me though as Kanda knocked the door open and stepped out on the roof.

"Ah, Yuu! It's about time you found me," came a rather gentle voice. I peeked around Kanda to find a completely unexpected sight. Standing at the edge of the roof with an open book in hand, a rather old man with unruly shaggy hair stood looking out at the hilly horizon that surrounded the town. He wore a long tattered coat with gold details that resembled the black and white uniforms the three of us were wearing. Next to him was a gigantic man with dark skin and a few braided dreadlocks on his head. Over his ears were some sort of metal headphones.

"General," Kanda said as a greeting. "You knew we were looking for you then?"

"Of course! Noise heard you miles away! What else did you expect?" he asked, turning to finally face us with a genuine smile on his face. I just blinked and I couldn't help but thing of those large shaggy dogs I heard that Scots used to herd their sheep. It took me a moment before I realized something about the other man though- Noise. His eyes were clouded over. He was blind?

"If you knew we were looking for you then why didn't you come to us?" Kanda demanded, irritation written all over his face. Tiedoll just smiled, though.

"I'm a teacher, Yuu," he replied with a shrug. "You're never too skilled to remember old lessons or to learn new ones. Now, what is this you have here? Is that a new exorcist I see?" he asked, his tender eyes moving from Kanda's annoyed features to my curious ones. "It's nice to meet you, my dear. My name is General Froi Tiedoll, and you are...?"

It took me a few moments to register his words. When I realized that I was stalling, my body stiffened and I immediately felt a little ridiculous.

"E-Emi Lazzar-rani," I stammered, my face turning bright pink. Tiedoll didn't seem at all phased by my behavior. He only continued to smile.

"What a pretty name! Italian?" he asked. I swallowed the frog in my throat hard and nodded a few times. "Wonderful! The countryside in Italy is so beautiful! I think the smell of the sea is what tops it off, though, don't you agree?" he asked. I just nodded again. "There's no need to be so shy. Anyways, this is Noise Marie. Now, I just need to add a few finishing touches to my sketch and the five of us can go down for a nice warm supper!"

Not twenty minutes later, the five of us were seated inside of a nice little cafe. It was a pretty laid back dinner, really. Again, Tiedoll had turned out to be nothing like I expected. It took of over half of our meal time to really take him in. When I first heard we were going to meet a General, I'd expected someone tall and clean-cut with broad shoulders and a stern sense of duty. Tiedoll was a little old man that could have passed off as a drifter, and he was as kind and patient as could be. He and Noise told me and Lavi a few stories about when Kanda was much younger. Some of them were cute and funny, much to Kanda's distaste. He sat trying to eat his meal and tune us all out, but I could have sworn there was a dim hue of pink on his cheeks.

After dinner, as usual, it was time to wind down. We all went up to the roof, all five of us, and joined in a sort of group meditation. It was really nice and it made me feel more comfortable and welcomed, not that I was at all nervous anymore. It was when I was drifting through my thoughts that I had realized that Lavi had been on his best behavior all evening. As the thought struck me, my eyes shot open for a moment. The red-haired boy sat across from me, and his un-patched green eye was examining me. As my eyes sprung open, he just smiled, but I found myself completely flustered. How often did he just watch me like that? How embarrassing! Then again, something about it also made me feel a tinge of pride. Why? I thought I had all my feelings sorted out, but it was like Lavi was determined to keep me unsure about everything.

I'd somehow managed to gain my composure and dive back into my meditation. When it was done, we all bid each other good night and made our ways to our own perspective rooms. I didn't go to bed right away, though. I decided a nice warm shower was needed. Obviously, my mind wasn't done wandering. As the hot steam surrounded me and the hot water beat down on my back like a much needed massage, I hugged myself and closed my eyes. Maybe, just maybe, Kanda was right about keeping everyone at arm's length, metaphorically speaking. If my thoughts and feelings about Lavi kept distracting me like this, I was going to be completely useless when it came to battle. Hopefully, with the company of Tiedoll and Noise, I wouldn't be so focused on the apprentice Bookman as much. Kanda was leaving to return to headquarters in the morning. I knew that my time was going to feel a lot less stressed, even if I was training under a General now instead of Kanda. Tiedoll seemed like a far better teacher than him, anyway. Still, I felt a little odd about Kanda being gone. I was so used to him by that point. Who would be there to scowl at Lavi and I when we were acting foolish? Surely Tiedoll would just smile at us instead of keep us in line.

I blinked suddenly, feeling a sense of surprise. Was I going to miss Kanda? Had he, at some point unknown to me, become my friend? No, no, Kanda Yuu didn't have friends. If anything, we found a way to reach a common understanding of one another. That's when something Lavi said came back to my mind. There aren't many others that Kanda has respect for. I had to wonder where I was on his respect ladder.

By the end of my shower, I'd managed to distract myself from my issues with Lavi and I felt a lot calmer and more relaxed. I had slipped into my pajamas and was in the process of towel-drying my hair when there was a sudden knock at my bedroom door. I paused, turned my head, and blinked twice. Who could possibly be knocking at my door at this hour? Lavi, most likely, and I'd just cleared my head! And there he was to cloud it again. Oh, bother!

Much to my surprise, when I cracked my door open, it was none other than Kanda standing there. His eyes were scowling down the hallway and he looked pretty uncomfortably. I couldn't help but rear my head back slightly in shock.

"K-Kanda...?" I question aloud.

"I just wanted to make sure that you know to keep to the training we've gone through. It's not that I have any doubts in Tiedoll's ability as an instructor, but you have to keep to a proper meal and sleep schedule, and don't stop meditating," he told me, seeming to get more uncomfortable the more he spoke. I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or how to respond.

"A-alright, I'll stay on top of it all," I said, trying my hardest to refrain from scratching my scalp in confusion.

"And, make sure _Usagi _doesn't kill himself," he added hastily. At this, I just blinked again, but a small smile crept across my face. With as much as Kanda liked to hate Lavi, I think that Lavi was one of the few that came close to being friends with him.

"Sure thing, Lavi's in good hands, I promise," I said to him with a small thumbs up. He still looked rather disgruntled as his eyes shifted to look down at his shirt. He began to fidget with his collar, his nostrils flaring as he did so. So, the great Kanda wasn't so good with farewells? I felt a small giddy feeling rise in my stomach and, before I could even register what I was doing, the door was flung out of my way and my arms locked around Kanda's midsection as I gave him a hug. Instantly, I felt his body go rigid. His arms were up in the air as far away as they could be from me. Suddenly, I felt awkward and afraid, but I was already there.

"Thank you so much for all you've done to help me, Kanda!" I blurted quickly. I was shocked to find that I hadn't been pried off of him or knocked back. Instead, a small, "Huh?" escaped me when his hand came down on the top of my head with an discomforted placid pat. It was then that I let go and stepped back, wrapping my arms around myself as a foolish pink glow came to my cheeks. I had just put myself in grave danger, I was sure of it. Although, when I looked up at Kanda, his face was calm and stoic, his eyes actually looking like eyes and less like leering monsters.

"It's no problem," he said simply. Then, he turned without another word. I peeked out of the door to watch him walk away down the hall. Before he went into his room, he looked back in my direction. "Get some rest, _Kimu_," he said to me. Without thinking, I nodded and retreated into my room.

Kimu? While I was part Japanese, my father had been strict about raising me as an Italian, so what Japanese I knew was extremely rusty. I ran my fingers through my hair as I thought and a few strands fell down before my face. That's when it clicked what the nickname meant: gold. He'd nicknamed me for the thick curly gold stripe in my hair. A tiny proud smirk spread across my lips. A nickname? That had to mean that I was accepted. As unpleasant as he was, I think I was going to miss Kanda. Well, maybe a little bit.

I fell asleep with relative ease that night and awoke with the sun. Rarely did I ever wake up quite so early anymore because all the traveling during the day kept me exhausted. For a moment, I almost thought I was back in my bedroom in my little house on the southern Italian shores. I sat up and rubbed my eyes before letting out a yawn much too large for a girl my size. After smacking my gums a couple times, I looked lazily towards my window and wondered if Kanda had departed yet. He wasn't the type to dilly dally and waste any time. Flinging my covers off of me, I slipped out of bed and quickly dressed, taming my hair down to clip it back it the normal low ponytail I wore it in. A few flights of stairs later, I was standing on the roof looking our at the magenta glow on the staggered horizon.

A warm breeze picked up and lightly tousled my hair. It was warm and so serene. What a perfect time of year for my to begin my new adventures as an exorcist. It was mid-spring now, a time of rebirth. I smiled and hugged myself as I watched the sun come up. I hadn't really felt such content or happiness for myself in such a long time. My attachment to Lavi wasn't as tight as it was before. I was gaining a sense of independence and identity for myself, and I was as proud as ever. I knew that, if it wasn't for Kanda being so hard on me, that would have never happened.

That was when I noticed a figure disappearing into the foothills, a long dark ponytail in its wake. A silently hoped that his journey back to headquarters was a good one. Then, the door behind me opened and I turned to see a bright-eyed Tiedoll coming up to the roof.

"Oh? Emi, you're up early!" he chortled. I smiled back at him.

"Well, I figured that the sunrise was worth seeing today," I said happily. The General just nodded and flipped open his sketch book.

"New beginnings are always so bittersweet, but the sunrise is worth seeing every day. Each day is like a chapter in your life, and it's always so refreshing to greet each one with vigor," he went on. I looked out at the horizon once more and my smile was almost as soft as the golden light just peeking over the foothills. At that moment, I couldn't agree with my new Master more.

* * *

Author's Note

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It sort of just wrote itself, really. There are a lot of important aspects here. Emi's eagerness to start her life as an exorcist, her confusion in regards to her feelings for Lavi, the air of mystery surrounding Lavi's feelings for her, and her developing friendship with Kanda (which is really just a friendship, I promise!). Also, I thought it appropriate for Kanda to giver her a nickname, as he doesn't really seem to like using people's actual names.

Updates, if you didn't see on my profile page, are going to be posted Sunday nights and ready to read on Monday's/throughout the week. If I don't update this story, it's because I've decided to write a chapter for my How To Train Your Dragon fic. I'm also working on a novel and writing for 10 characters on Gaia, so I'm a busy girl this summer! Thanks to everyone for sticking around and giving great reviews -lessthanthree-


	11. Vampire Country

My tawny eyes shifted this way and that through a sliver of a crack between my door and its frame. I surveyed the hallway of the inn with great scrutiny before slowly opening the door. As quick as my neck would allow my head to turn, I peered either way down the hall. After deciding that the coast was clear, I slinked out of my room, silently shutting the door behind me. Turning, I straightened up and took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment before tiptoeing my way towards the staircase. We were staying at a cute little bed and breakfast in Prague now. It had been almost a month since Lavi and I joined with Tiedoll and Noise and we'd worked our way up through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and then cut through Prussia on our way towards Noise's home country: Austria. Spring was now gone and summer was falling upon us, but I bet you're wondering why I'm sneaking my way out of my room.

It all began about three weeks ago. After Kanda left, General Tiedoll gave Lavi and I about a week to rest up since he knew how Kanda was and knew how long we'd been roughing it to try and find him. It was a really nice vacation from traveling, I had to admit, but when the general finally decided to evaluate me, I was more than overjoyed. My nervousness about the evaluation had completely melted away after getting to know Tiedoll. He was such a sweet old man and he wasn't at all tough on me, ever. He was always understanding, so it was hard for me to believe that he was also Kanda's Master.

"Hmm, it seems to me that your combat skills are highly advanced," he'd said after seeing me spar with Noise.

"Are you kidding me? Emi's been training in all kinds of martial arts since she knew how to walk! Fighting is second nature to her!" Lavi boasted about me, causing my cheeks to flush a dark raspberry red. Tiedoll just smiled at me as if he was agreeing with Lavi's praise, but then the old man raised an objective finger and I felt my shoulders wilt.

"It's true that her combat skills are advanced enough to even keep up with Kanda, possibly, but her trouble lies within remembering to activate her Innocence. You also do not have a strong enough grasp of your anti-akuma weapon yet, from what I hear?" he asked, his beady eyes blinking at me. I cupped my hands behind my back and pushed some dirt around with the toe of my shoe. How embarrassing! But I guess that was the point of training with the general, after all. I nodded with a small frown on my face.

"Well, you'll be training with Marie here to gain that control you need over your weapon. But, what to do about your reaction time... You've got to get used to activating your weapon or else you'll find yourself in another sticky situation," he said, scratching his scalp through that mass of fluffy gray hair as he thought.

"I have an idea!" Lavi said suddenly, very loudly, nearly making me jump out of my skin. When I turned to look at him, there was almost an evil glint in his eye. It made my skin crawl the way he rubbed his hands together menacingly as he sneered at me.

"L-Lavi...? You're scaring me," I stammered.

"Good! That's going to be the WHOLE point!" he chirped.

From that moment on, I quickly learned that I wasn't allowed to have any moments of peace or ever let my guard down. Whenever I least expected it, Lavi would appear out of no where and attack me. The point was for me to activate my Innocence upon being startled or attacked, but that didn't actually work out at first. Instead, Lavi's only good eye was left under the held pressure of a cold steak because, the first time he jumped out at me, I screamed and flailed in panic, socking him right in the cheek! It didn't stop there, either. I opened a cabinet to get a clean blanket for my bed; Lavi was there. I rounded a corner in the market; Lavi was there. I shut the door and turned around to pee; Lavi was there, in my BATHROOM! Really! He HAD to be a glutton for pain, honestly, but then I remembered how much he toyed with Kanda and it sort of made sense to me.

After nearly a week and a half of Lavi's "training," I was finally starting to activate my Innocence before hitting him, but that only made his injuries worse as the impact of the Hayaite only sent the exorcist crashing _through _walls instead of into them. By the time we got to Prague, I was activating my Innocence without pummeling Lavi about 70% of the time, but that was mostly because I was so on edge about him falling from the sky or popping out from under my bed that I wouldn't even allow myself to blink. I guess you could say I was feeling a little high strung as I snuck out of my room and downstairs to where Tiedoll and Noise were having breakfast.

I slowly walked across the room, my eyes narrow and full of suspicion as I sat down. Tiedoll was drinking a cup of tea and Noise was... reading a newspaper? When I noticed this, I gave him an odd look. What was a blind man doing reading a newspaper? It didn't make any sense to me at first, but what I'd come to realize about Noise during the month I spent with him was that he didn't allow his lack of vision to be any sort of handicap. Any time servers or shop owners noticed that he was blind, they treated him differently and it made him uncomfortable. So, instead of sitting and staring into space, he was holding a newspaper up before him so that he seemed to blend in more. It was clever, I had to admit.

"Good morning, Emi," they both greeted me.

"Good morning!" I said back, a yawn suddenly creeping up out of my mouth. Covering it with the back of my hand, I looked around the room once more. "No sign of Lavi?" I asked, a hint of cynicism returning to my eyes.

"You know Lavi doesn't like waking up earlier than he has to," Tiedoll chuckled as he gently stirred his tea. A heavy sigh of relief escaped me. I trusted the general - I knew he wouldn't lie to me.

"I'm so ready to go on a real mission and prove I can handle myself. All of these surprise attacks are going to be the death of me, and I'd really love to just take a shower in peace without fearing being attacked as soon as I reach for my towel," I whined.

"He... hasn't really gone that far?" Noise asked.

"Not yet!" I huffed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did, though!"

"Hmm... I don't think he minds so much getting a concussion if it means helping you survive later on when it counts, but I don't think he really wants to be put in his grave quite yet," Noise tried to reassure me.

"Yeah, yeah," I said doubtfully, waving off the subject with a dismissive hand. When the barmaid came over to ask me what I'd like for breakfast, I looked around for a moment at a loss. Ever since Tiedoll allowed us to return to civilization, Lavi had gone back to placing my orders for me since I was so indecisive about what to eat. I looked up at the girl with a nervous smile. "I'll order whatever your favorite dish is," I told her with a small laugh. She gave me a strange look, but shrugged and jotted something down and shuffled off.

"You may get your wish sooner than you think," Tiedoll suddenly said. I sat upright and blinked at him.

"You mean you finally heard from Komui?" I asked.

"Well, the Order, anyway. After lunch, today, we'll be packing up and heading for Transylvania," Tiedoll informed me with that jubilant smile of his.

"Eh? What's in Transylvania?" I asked, a vivacious tone peaking in my voice. We were finally being sent on a mission! I was ecstatic, to say the least, but I knew someone else who wasn't so happy about our destination.

* * *

"D-D-D-DRACULAAAA!" Lavi cried with his hands at his temples, pulling his red hair this way and that as his trademark waterfall tears sprang from his eyelids.

"D-Dracula?" I repeated with a puzzled look played on my face. Aside from my recent travels, I had been pretty sheltered in my small Italian village. I didn't know much about history away from home.

"Vlad the Impaler," Noise corrected. "He was a brutal ruler from over four hundred years ago known for his violence and bloodshed. The people were so afraid of him, they believed him to be something other-worldly."

"Other-worldly?" I repeated, the same look of confusion on my face.

"A merciless, blood-sucking MONSTER!" Lavi cried, gripping the table as he screamed in panic before letting his head fall and crash helplessly against the tabletop. I have him a droll stare and crossed my arms.

"Lavi, non essere cosi drammatico," I cooed at him. "What does he mean?" I asked, turning my head to Noise.

"A vampire," he said flatly with a small shrug of his large shoulders.

"Vampire...?" I mused back rhetorically.

"Calm yourselves, children," Tiedoll interrupted. "We aren't headed to Transylvania to go vampire hunting. We're going to investigate some inauspicious events surrounding a bridge."

"A haunting!" I chimed in excitedly.

"A supposed haunting," Tiedoll corrected which his finger once more raised objectively. I just smiled and reached for my glass of water. I'd already been briefed at breakfast, so I was going to sit back and let Tiedoll explain the mission to Lavi. It's what he got for waking up so late, but I was just happy I hadn't been attacked yet that day. "It is said that a young woman there gave birth to a child with horrid deformities. She couldn't bring herself to raise such a hideous child, so she snuck out to the bridge in the middle of the night and cast her child into the river. As the days went on, the guilt began to drive the woman mad. Everywhere she turned, she saw her child and heard its cries. Finally, she could take no more, and one foggy morning, she ran screaming through the town towards the bridge. Her guilt had become too much and she threw herself over the side of the bridge to follow her child and the fate she'd sealed for it."

"Aw, man... That story is such a downer," Lavi said, his face not looking the least bit amused by the story. At least he was calm now and not screaming his head off like a lunatic, though. "So where do we fit into this when we're hunting akuma?"

"Lavi! That's only half the story!" I protested. "There have been several reports of people hearing a baby crying whenever the fog sets in and anyone caught on the bridge when it happens all suffer something terrible. A lot of people have fallen into the river lately and lost their lives," I scolded him.

"Oooh, so we think an akuma is pretending to be this ghost to kill humans?"

"That's what we're going to investigate," Tiedoll said. "As soon as we're all ready to go!"

* * *

"Nyyyyaaa~" Lavi whimpered. He'd been doing so ever since Tiedoll announced we'd reach our destination in about an hour. Before we left Prague, Lavi had loaded up on all sorts of superstitious relics. Not only was he wearing a rosary, but he had garlic around his neck and a vile of holy water in his pocket along with a small stake made out of hawthorn. Honestly, I didn't know what to think. Surely, I hadn't believed in demons before and I was never particularly religious, but here I was, an exorcist fighting off demons. That meant that maybe, in some corner of the universe, it was possible for vampires to exist.

I wasn't going to easily dismiss anything anymore, so to both ease Lavi's nerves, and mine, I agreed to wear a rosary, but I was not going to stink myself up with a garland of garlic. Still, Lavi continued to whine and shake in his boots as the town appeared before us across a river. The sun was down and the warm summer hair was creating a small fog. I reflected on the story of the crying baby and the hairs stood up on my neck. My senses were at an all time high as we crossed the bridge, but still, the only thing I heard was the rushing water, our footsteps, and Lavi's sniveling.

"Lavi," I murmured. "Will you please pull it together? I can't concentrate."

"Stop what? I'm not worried! Who said I was worried?" he began to deny. Then the wind blew and he flinched so hard he nearly jumped out of his skin as it paled. I shook my head at him and turned to see Tiedoll who was peering over the edge of the bridge into the depths of the water. "What is it, Master?" I asked, peeking over the edge to see what he was staring at so intently.

"Well, it isn't common for towns near such deep rivers to experience fog on a regular basis, but for a summer evening, the temperature does feel as if it's... dropped," he began to recite.

"And the sounds of the water washing against the rocks could easily be mistake for a wailing child," Noise added.

"So you think the townspeople were imagining it?" I asked. "And Lavi, but that stake away! You aren't going to be attacked by the wind!" I added, turning to point at my friend.

"Hey, you never know! We're in vampire country and it's after sunset!" he barked back, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Emi is right, Lavi. We need to go in and talk to some of the people in town. Please put any and all weapons away," Tiedoll requested with a gentle voice. Lavi began muttering curses to himself, but he put the stake back into his back and crossed his arms.

We moved further into the town, but found that the streets were unnaturally quiet. Still, an odd feeling was creeping up my spine, as if eyes were following me and watching very move I made. It was really bothering me, but I wasn't going to let anyone know that I was afraid. After all, I was a proud female. I never admitted to being afraid or weak. My father had made sure I knew better than that.

I snapped out of my fantasy land for a moment just to see a curtain quickly close in a passing window as if someone had been peering out and quickly retreated to avoid being caught. At that, I stepped up quickly next to General Tiedoll.

"I think they know we're here," I said quietly to him.

"Of course they do," Tiedoll smiled. Again, I found myself puzzled. "People have been going mad and drowning themselves here, Emi. The people are afraid of darkness and fog, which are both present this evening. They aren't going to be out and about or willing to welcome strangers."

"So, then what are we going to do?" I asked with my furrowed brow knitting together.

"Find the inn, naturally. You see, in every town, there are going to be men or women who like to partake in God's nectar."

"You mean alcohol?" I asked and Tiedoll nodded. Great, so we were going to go ask drunks about disappearing people. I had a feeling we weren't going to get any straight answers.

Upon arriving at the inn, Tiedoll had been correct: there was a single man sitting at the bar downstairs. From the looks of it, he'd already had a couple of drinks. Tiedoll asked Lavi and I to question him while he and Noise booked our rooms and took our luggage upstairs. My social skills were extremely lacking, so it was Lavi that approached the man first.

"Oi! You- care to answer a few questions for us?" Okay, so maybe Lavi's etiquette wasn't exactly spot on either... The man rose an eyebrow at us and turned, his head lulling slightly as he did. Great, just wonderful, I began to curse to myself. I hadn't a lot of experience with drunk people, but the ones I had, I knew they were obnoxious.

"What kin' o' questions?" the man asked, his words slurring.

"About the ghost haunting your bridge." Well, that was direct, Lavi, I said inside my head as I resisted the urge to smack my own forehead in disbelief.

"Stai andando a farci buttato fuori," I muttered to him, knowing he didn't know what I meant, but what I'd said was that he was going to get us thrown out. He glanced at me, but the man sitting before us just blinked.

"You mean the Ghost of Madalina," he hiccuped.

"Yes, that is the one," Lavi said, squatting on a stool next to him. "What do you know?" The man grimaced and looked down into his half-empty mug.

"She look my wife from me," he growled lowly.

"Oh!" I peeped. "I'm so sorry, Mister-"

"Uncle Eugen!" came a girl's voice. Turning, Lavi and I looked towards the door where a young girl was standing with an angered look on her face.

"Felicia!" the man yelled back, mocking her earnest tone.

"What are you doing out so late? You know it's not safe to be ou past dark! Come on, now, let's go home!" She said, coming over to tug on the large man's arm. He only nudged it away from her and she sighed before turning to us. "You aren't from around here," she said observantly. "I'm sorry if my uncle's been a bother to you. He hasn't been right since our family..."

"Oh...? Something bad happened?" I asked, trying to keep the girl talking.

"S-...s-...?" Lavi began to stammer next to me. I blinked, unsure of what he was doing. When I looked at him, he had almost a sick look to him.

"Lavi... are you alright?"

"S-...s-...STRIIIIKE~!" he cheered suddenly, causing my jaw to drop. Felicia looked frightened as Lavi began to drool. I felt my fingers flex in anger and I wanted to sock him in his jaw again, but instead, I placed the palm of my hand on his face and gave him a firm push that sent him crashing backwards as a vein began to pop out of my forehead.

"I'm sorry, he's, uh, not right," I said, giving the girl a small nod.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," she peeped.

"Now, you were saying about your family?" I asked.

"Oh, well," the girl frowned once more. "I'm afraid my parents and aunt went out on a business venture and on the way back, something scared the horses pulling their carriage and they crashed into the river. Now, it's just Uncle Eugen and I, and he hasn't taken their deaths very well," she explained.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," I said sympathetically. After all, I knew what it was like to lose my entire family. "Has that been happening a lot around here lately?" I asked. The uncle looked up from his mug again.

"Course it has!" he roared. "It's the Ghost of Madalina! That malicious monster has been snatching people from us for months now!"

"Uncle! We don't know that! I mean, a lot of the townspeople believe in the spiteful spirit, but-"

"The guilt-ridden mother who threw herself into the river?" Lavi asked, obviously recovering from his spastic moment. Felicia nodded and I turned to look at Lavi.

"But you said this has only been happening for a few months? Why would the spirit suddenly be taking lives if she's been here for so long?" I asked out loud.

"No one can really explain that, but there's something about that bridge after dark that's been causing people to see things," Felicia went on.

"Eh? See things?" I mused.

"Yeah, we actually watched the last person to cross the bridge before you people. It was a week or so ago and he started out just fine. Then, about half way across the bridge, the fog moved in and it got really cold outside. That's when we all heard the sound of the baby crying. Everyone in the town heard it, and that's when the man began to look very confused. Then, his skin went white as if he'd seen something terrifying. He dropped everything in his arms began to back away in fear, then he screamed and turned to run an went right over the side of the bridge."

"What was he so afraid of?" Lavi asked. Felicia looked up with a concerned look on her face, but it was her uncle that spoke.

"No one saw anything. There was nothing there. She took his mind, she did, and lured him into her grave," Eugen reflected, an eerie air to his voice. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end again and I once more looked up at Lavi.

"Well, thank the two of your for letting us know. Maybe it would be best for you to return home before it gets too late. We don't think it would be a good idea to roam the streets this late if those things are actually happening here," Lavi went on. "We're exorcists, and we're here to look into getting rid of your little ghost problem for you," he added with a thumbs up. I could see the hope light up in both Felicia and Eugen's eyes, even though I knew we weren't here to really get rid of the ghost. We bid them farewell and moved to go upstairs.

"So you think it's really an akuma?" I asked.

"Oh, I have no doubt about it," Lavi replied.

"Does that mean your mind's put to rest about vampires?" I asked with a small sly smile on my face.

"Not a chance in Hell," Lavi replied casually. I couldn't help it; a small chuckle bubbled in my throat. Man, I thought I was stubborn! Still, Lavi was just adorable... sometimes!

* * *

Author's Note:

So, I know I said I was going to start updating weekly, but I haven't been able to do that. Instead, I'll just be updating when I can, but hopefully more often than I have been. Sorry! SO! Emi and Lavi are finally on a real mission! It's been a while since I've written for Emi, so it took me a couple of drafts to get her right. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! [lessthanthree]

Arista Lycoris and I started a DGM community for hetero/CCxOC pairings, since there aren't a whole lot of those around here x -x If you have a story involving a DGM character and oc or just a hetero fic or oneshot, you're welcome to add it! Anyways, I'll update again soon since I finally have a plot to write on for now. Great fun! heart, Emm

PS: I was curious about the wordcount of my story without the author's notes, so I went back and added them up. Here's the current breakdown which I'll start adding at the bottom of all my chapters ^^

Ch 01 - 3375  
Ch 02 - 3537  
Ch 03 - 3531  
Ch 04 - 3572  
Ch 05 - 3628  
Ch 06 - 3548  
Ch 07 - 3732  
Ch 08 - 4266  
Ch 09 - 3749  
Ch 10 - 3570  
Ch 11 - 3679  
**Total - 40,187**


	12. Dust to Dust

A/N: Chapters 11 and 12 were posted back to back, so if you got the update announcement, make sure you go back to ch 11 and read it too! [heart]

* * *

By the time we got situated into our rooms and informed General Tiedoll of all the information Felicia and Eugen gave us about the Ghost of Madalina, I figured the girl and her uncle should have made it home by then. I was, however, gravely mistaken. We were all seated downstairs in the bar area at a table discussing the possibilities of the ghost really being an akuma when the door suddenly burst open and a sweat-covered Felicia flung herself at us. Her skin was horribly pale and she was panting. Her eyes looked as if she'd been crying while running. Lavi and I were instantly on our feet, but Tiedoll was a few steps ahead of us. He met the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders as if to try and calm her.

"Felic-"

"What's th-"

"What's happened, child? Tell me everything." Felicia's eyes just stared up at the general for a moment while she caught her breath. They scanned his uniform and, while gold and tattered unlike mine and Lavi's uniforms (which were relatively clean and black and white) she seemed to conclude that he was, in fact, a higher ranking exorcist than either of us, since she hadn't met him before. She swallowed hard and choked back a sob.

"My uncle! We were walking home and he suddenly decided he was going to head towards the bridge. I begged him to just come home with me, but he said he wanted to have a few words with her! It's because he drank so much, I know it! We were almost at the bridge when I heard a baby cry. I didn't mean to, but I just froze up and watched my uncle continue on. The fog got so thick, I lost sight of him! I don't know what happened! Please, you've got to help him!" she cried.

"We'll do what we can," Tiedoll said to her before gesturing for us to follow him out into the dark.

"Felicia, you can stay in my room. There's two beds in there but I'm the only girl in our group so the other bed is open. I don't want you to put yourself in danger, so stay here and try to rest. We'll really try all we can to save your uncle," I said, trying to give the girl an encouraging smile. Her mind was in another place, though, and I saw that, but she nodded and gave me a quick hug before sitting down at the table the four of us had just risen from.

"You know it might be too late to save her uncle," Lavi said to me as the door of the inn closed behind us.

"Lavi, don't be so negative," I scowled at him.

"I'm not being negative, Emi. I'm being realistic, and you should be, too. Akuma are no joke. They're hard enough for us to deal with as exorcists. A normal human being doesn't really stand a chance against them."

"Do you have any faith in mankind?" I asked him, feeling my temper rise. I didn't like the negativity and heading off to battle akuma was a little nerve-racking for me. The least he could do for me, and for poor Felicia, was to be a little bit optimistic. Still, I couldn't help but note the sudden serious expression behind Lavi's eye.

"My faith in mankind... Well, I've seen a lot in my time. If you knew half of what I've witnessed in my time as a Bookman, maybe you'd understand a little."

"Comradery is crucial for us right now," Noise butted in. "It would be in our best interest not to say harsh words to one another. They could be our last."

It was true, and I knew it. Now wasn't the time for bickering, not when we could be going into battle. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Lavi and the last thing I'd ever said to him was that his realism was making me feel bad. What if something bad happened to me? How would he feel about having argued with me and then never getting to speak to me again? Death was very much a possibility in moments like this. After what happened with Amaury, I knew how much my life was at risk. I flashed Lavi an apologetic look, but he just beamed at me.

"No problem, Bright Eyes. I couldn't ever be mad at you," he said with a wink, or what I thought was a wink considering winking and blinking looked the same on him. My face flushed red and I looked away from him. Now wasn't the time to get all giddy and wonder what my feelings for Lavi could possibly be. No, not with the haunted bridge coming into view.

I nearly skid to a stop when I saw the bridge. The fog was not just thick, it was like a massive white tower surrounding the bridge and I could hardly make out the figure of Eugen inside of it.

"The f-fog!" I called out to my male companions. They were still moving, though. Apparently, the unnatural formation of the fog didn't phase them. I felt like such a rookie, but I shook off my nerves and pressed forward. As I got closer, though, I began to hear the crying that Felicia and the rumors spoke up. It definitely wasn't the sound of water against the rocks in the river as Noise had suggested. The wailing was clearly the cries of an infant., and at that, I felt my stomach turn.

The four of us finally came to a stop a few yards away from the spinning vortex of fog. The crying of the baby was loud - almost ear-shattering.

"Any signs of akuma?" I asked. Looking around, it seemed Noise was having the hardest time focusing with the screaming. His large hands were clenched over his ears. I frowned. The man was going to be of little to no use so long as the screaming was going on.

"All I can see if Eugen in there," Lavi called out.

"Lavi, I want you and Emi to see what's going on up there," Tiedoll called to us, gesturing upward into the clouds where the vortex reached. Lavi nodded and, before I realized what was going on, his hand was on my hip.

"Extend!" he bellowed into my ear. Then, my feet were off the ground and the ground itself was growing distant. That didn't help my stomach at all. It was almost just like the instant back in headquarters when I'd accidentally sent myself flying too high and Lavi had had to save me. I didn't handle heights well. There were only so many things I was afraid of, and heights were one of them. With Lavi's hand still around my waist, my arms found themselves around his neck like I was a cat someone was trying to toss into a tub of water. I wouldn't have been surprised if my legs wrapped around him, too, that's how nervous I was to be so high up.

"Gah~! You've going to make me fall, Emi! Calm down!" he began to protest at me, but I was latched onto him like a baby monkey by the time we were too high to even realize how high we were anymore. When I looked down, the only ground I saw was a vapory one made of clouds. Looking up, the vortex was still spiraling onward.

"L-Lavi! Do you see that!" I asked. He looked around and then his neck snapped in the direction of my pointed gloved finger. The top of the vortex was visible now, and at the top was a large humanoid figure that looked as if it was made of stone. It had a long snake-like tail and three massive jagged horns protruding from its temple.

"An akuma!" Lavi yelled. The monster's claws were reaching downward and the vortex seemed to be coming from its chest. "Emi, you've got to use your Innocence and try to distract it from what it's doing - or else Eugen won't make it out alive!"

"I-" I began to protest as I looked down. I was so afraid of falling, but I'd promised Felicia that we'd do all we could for her uncle, so I swallowed my words and nodded. With my arms still around Lavi's neck, I muttered those special words. "Innocence, activate!" and the small metal plates over my knuckles began to glow a bright green.

"You've got to let go now," Lavi said into my ear. I nodded and shifted my legs so that my feet were placed onto his thighs and slid my arms back to place my hands on his shoulders. I felt his body tense as he braced himself for my departure, so I leapt upward and away from him, spinning into the air before thrusting my fist in the direction of the akuma. The force of my Innocence sent my flying through the air like some sort of flying heroine. I was closing in, wondering if my attack would be a surprise or not to the akuma, but the monster looked up when I was mere yards away - and it smiled.

The akuma rose its clawed hand high into the air as if it were going to swat me down like an annoying fly. My light brown eyes grew large with fear and I did the only thing I could think to do so high in the air: I thrust my other fist upward to change my trajectory. I was now zooming even higher, and now with an akuma hot on my trail, but when I looked down, the vortex of fog had lifted. I only hoped Eugen had made it out alright.

Turning, I jabbed my fist downward again. I wasn't going to give up trying to hit the akuma. I was already up so high and I knew no one else could reach us up here. There was no way the akuma was a level one, so I was afraid to face it alone. I knew I wouldn't be able to defeat it solo, so I had to figure out a way to get it to the ground. My plan was to let it hit me so that I could fall from the sky and pray that it chase me. I'd just use my hayaite to stop myself from impacting the ground. It was something that Noise had been helping me work with through our training. I just hadn't planned on the impact of the akuma's punch to be quite as strong as it had been, or at the back of my skull.

"Die, exorcist!" it cried, swatting at me as I got within its range. It literally felt like a sack of bricks collided with my head and down I went, my vision blurring as I rocketed towards the ground. I couldn't be sure, but it looked like I was suddenly surrounded by fog. The sound of the infant crying met my ears once more, but I was still falling. Down, and down, and down. Then the wind was knocked out of me as my body plunged into the depths of the river. I continued to fall down, but now I was unable to breathe as the chill of the water surrounded me.

Then I panicked. A secret that no one knew about me was that I didn't know how to swim. After all, my village had been on the coast of Italy and I grew up around water. I could still here Ren's voice in my ears as he made fun of me. _"Come on, little sis! The water is nice and warm! Don't you want to come play? Oh wait! You can't because you're afraid to swim!"_ The summer before, we had been out swimming when I got pulled too far out from the shore by a current. I nearly drowned because of it, but one of the fisherman caught sight of my struggling to keep my head up and dove in to save me. Ever since, I've just tried to steer clear of the water, and here I was, drowning as my brother's taunting chimed in my ears.

From under the water, I screamed. My lungs hurt and I was out of oxygen. I was going to die, I just knew it. My body flailed about, or what I could move of it. Things were growing dark.

"EMI!" I heard someone scream in the distance. "Come back to me! Come on!" it continued to lure me. "Damnit! Wood Seal!" And then I heard footsteps rush away from me.

"L-Lavi...?" I mused. The water suddenly evaporated from around me and I found myself laying on the ground with Tiedoll leaning over me. I jolted upright and looked around. "But, how...?"

"It seems this akuma's special ability is to emerge its victims into their deepest fears. What did you see, Emi?" he asked.

"I was... drowning," I said blankly, feeling shivers creep up my spine. "Where's Lavi?" I asked, looking around. Tiedoll just looked up to where the akuma was not thirty feet in the air. Lavi was now trapped inside the foggy vortex.

"You were falling from the sky with the akuma in tow and Lavi used his tessei to get to you and catch you before you hit the ground. The vortex broke up and Marie took the opportunity to draw the akuma away to give us a moment to ensure you were alight."

"That means that Lavi's trapped in there now!" I exclaimed, quickly rising to my feet. The baby was crying once more, meaning Noise was once again disabled. I quickly reactivated my Innocence and took another jab at the akuma. This time, it had been so distracted that it hadn't seen me coming. My hayaite connected with the monster's jaw and it let out a loud curse as it flew through the air and into the ground across the bridge from the town leaving a huge burrow in its wake. "Lavi, are you alright?" I asked, landing down on the bridge. Next to me, Lavi was as white as a sheet of paper, his jaw was completely slack, and he was sobbing like a small child. "Damnit!" I cursed, which I rarely ever did. "You're going to pay now!" I declared as the akuma emerged from the dirt pile I'd sent him in and dusted himself.

"My, my, aren't we confident now? You didn't seem so tough in the air, but could you be afraid of heights?" it began to mock me.

"I think it's you who should be afraid of my fists!" I spat back. The akuma just threw its head back and let out a loud shrill laughter. That's when I heard noise step up close to me.

"You're not alone in this," he said to me. I blinked up at him in awe for a moment before nodding. As long as we kept the akuma too busy to unleash its fog and obnoxious crying, Noise and I could take care of the akuma, no problem, and I believed that. From the rings around Noise's fingers, what appeared to be wire shot out. The akuma stopped laughing and looked around suddenly, as if surprised.

"What's this?" it asked, looking at its arms. Small sections of the wire glimmered in the moonlight, but where it was dark, the thread was almost invisible.

"Hit it now," he said sternly. With another nod, I was off. With my feet running as fast as they could, I charged at the akuma. When I was in range, I thrust my fist forward once more and landed a heavy punch into the monster's abdomen. I could hear it gasp in pain, but I didn't stop. Another punch connected with his face, then one with his chest before a kick came up and smashed into its jaw. With each punch, my fists began to move faster and faster with the increasing momentum, and the punches became strong. I didn't see, but behind me, Noise was struggling to keep his footing, sliding closer as I punched the akuma back.

"Emi! Jump up!" he finally said, and, with the help of my brass knuckles, I did so, high and out of range for Noise's attack. He quickly crossed his fists and the wire followed. The akuma gave out a loud scream before its body broke up into many thin pieces then exploded. Something shiny flew upward into the sky and I recognized it as the soul that had been trapped, fueling the akuma. It was defeated.

I landed gracefully back on my feat. Sweat beaded up on my brow, but I hadn't noticed. I was panting from moving so fast and my eyes sparkled as I looked at the remaining ashes of what was once an akuma fall to the ground. Joy bubbled up within me. I'd done it. I had proven myself as an exorcist! My fists balled up near my face and a small squeak came from my throat as I turned around on my heels.

"Lavi! Did you see! I did it- Lavi?" I stopped and blinked. Lavi was still as white as a ghost with his jaw completely unhinged, frozen on the ground hugging his knees in the fetal position. I scratched my cheek and tossed a puzzled look up to Tiedoll. Next to him was Eugen, who looked remarkably sober all the sudden but seemed in good health.

"Apparently, Lavi has a pretty tense fear," Tiedoll chortled. I let out a breath of a laugh and walked over to my friend. Kneeling down, I put a hand on his shoulder. His body let out the most horrible scream I'd ever heard in my life. It surprised me so bad, I fell backwards onto my butt and nearly let out a scream of my own. The three other men around me laughed as Lavi's scream died away and he resumed hugging his knees. Me, on the other hand, I was beat red again, embarrassed that, after my battle with the akuma, the one thing that scared me was a scream coming from a teenaged boy.

"Uncle! Uncle, are you alright!" It was Felicia. Apparently the entire town had heard the battle going on and came outside to witness the explosion of the akuma. Eugen turned to catch his niece in his arms and I couldn't help but beam. "Thank you all for returning him safe!"

"So, our ghost was really one of those akuma?" Eugen asked.

"Certainly," Tiedoll replied, a smile on his face once more. "The people of this town should have nothing more to fear. Your bridge wasn't haunted at all. It was just a demon feeding off of your superstitions. It should be safe from now on."

The town thanked us and that night we had a huge feast to celebrate. Lavi eventually recovered from his shock, but he wouldn't even hint to us what it had been that scared him enough to make him curl up into a little ball and cry like a baby, no pun intended. By the next day, we were on our way out of the town. It was back on the road, once again, but this time, we had a real destination.

"It's time we head back to headquarters. Emi, you've trained with me enough now to be able to proudly call yourself an exorcist. They'll want to start sending you out on your own missions now," Tiedoll informed me. I just blinked up at him in awe for a moment. He chuckled and patted my shoulder. "But I'm going to go with the two of you, just in case. Komui seems to lose paperwork, so I'm going to verbally give him my recommendation."

"You really think I'm ready?" I asked with large eyes.

"Definitely," he smiled back.

"You saved my life," Lavi pointed out, patting me on the other shoulder to get my attention so that I would see the ever large smile on his face with his classic thumbs-up. Again, my face flushed red.

"N-no, you saved MY life," I pointed out.

"It's what comrades are for," Noise chimed in. I just smiled. He was right, and it felt really nice to be part of a team. And, believe it or not, I sort of missed the other friends I'd made since joining the Black Order. I wondered what Reever and the others in the science department were up to. I even missed Lenalee and her trying to bond with me on a female level. Oh, and boy did I miss Jerry's cooking! My mouth started watering just thinking about it! I wanted MY bed in MY room and MY shower. Oh, it sounded so nice.

"I can't really say I'm too upset about returning to the Order," I sighed aloud.

"Me, either. That place sort of grows on you after a while. I wonder what that old Panda is up to," Lavi grinned, his elbows once more aimed at the heavens as we trekked on.

"Don't let him hear you say that," I laughed. Then, something I'd forgotten came back to my mind: Bookman didn't want Lavi making friends with me. The smile melted away from my face. I hoped Lavi wouldn't start avoiding me with Bookman around. I didn't want that distance to grow between us. Suddenly, the idea of returning home wasn't as glorious, and I heaved a heavy sigh.

* * *

Author's Note:

So, as an apology for not updating in so long, here's chapter 2, posted back-to-back with chapter 11! I'm really not good at writing fight scenes, so I hope I did Emi some justice here, since I've avoided writing her battle until this point. Short and sweet! ^^

Emm

Ch 12 - 3542  
**Total - 43,729**


	13. The Cursed Boy

It was around lunch time when we arrived back at headquarters several days later. Walking through the halls, I noted how empty it seemed. Lavi suggested that many of the others were probably out on missions. I sighed, but nodded. I'd been looking forward to seeing all my new friends again. It had been almost two months since I'd seen anyone when Lavi, Kanda, and I went to find the general. Not that I didn't enjoy spending all that time with Lavi, I just missed Reever, Johnny, Tapp and the others. Yet, no matter where we went, headquarters was like a ghost town.

"I don't think the science department goes on missions. Isn't it Komui and Reever's responsibility to run this place?" I asked Lavi. He just grinned at me and shrugged.

"Maybe we should just go get some lunch," he suggested.

"That's if Jerry hasn't vanished, too," I mumbled. So, we headed towards the cafeteria. Rounding the corner, I blinked in surprise. My eyes landed on a large banner that read, 'Welcome Emi!' and everyone from the order stood under it. The tables were lined with cakes and other pastries as well as bowls of punch and fountains spouting chocolate.

"Surprise!" everyone yelled in unison. I didn't know what to do. I just stood there with a dumb look on my face, and when I realized it, I blushed with all my might.

"Eeeeh!" I squeaked to myself. Lavi laughed next to me and gave me a small pat on the back.

"She's so surprised!" Johnny chirped triumphantly.

"She doesn't even know what to say!" Tapp added.

"Are you two making fun of me!" I demanded, and the room just sounded with laughter once more. "Nnn, thank you everyone!" I said finally, my smile finding its way to my face. "But you really didn't have to do all this!"

"Of course we did!" Lenalee said as she walked up to me and gave me a hug. "We've been missing you ever since you left! You're part of the family now, you know?" she went on with a bright smile. Family. The word resonated in my mind. At first, I didn't want to claim anyone as my family. Both my mother and brother were gone and I hadn't any idea where my father was, but after a moment, I accepted it. I'd referred to headquarters as my home, and the people you live with are your family. This one was mine, everyone that stood around, walking up to me and greeting me, congratulating me on becoming an official exorcist now. Even Kanda was there, despite the grimace on his face the entire time. After I greeted everyone, I decided that I wanted to talk to him. Smiling, I sat down next to Kanda in the corner of the room where he was pretending not to enjoy himself.

"It's so good to be back!" I said to him.

"Che," he smacked his gums at me. I blinked at him, and then just smiled.

"It's nice to see that you're in a good mood, Kanda!" I teased, shoving his arm slightly.

"I'm surprised you're back so soon," he said maliciously, as if he wasn't taking my teasing well at all.

"Why? Tiedoll said, right after you left, that my fighting skills were up to par with yours," I said, giving him a smug look.

"I doubt that," he muttered back at me.

"Oh? You want to go find out? I've improved a lot, you know?" I said, challenging him. I seemed to strike a nerve because he shot me another deadly glance, but before he could say anything, a familiar redhead rose up behind us.

"What's this? A friendly sparring match? OI! EVERYOOOOONE! EMI AND KANDA ARE GOING TO SPAR!" Lavi bellowed over the noise of the entire cafeteria. Instantly, the entire room froze. Both Kanda and I had looks of disbelief on our faces. I had only been joking about sparring against him. I just wanted to let him know that I was more confident with myself, and that he was a large part of why I'd improved. Through my training, I'd continued his schedule and my meditation and, aside from Lavi's surprise attacks on me, it had really helped me not over-exhaust myself and really cleared my head. Now everyone was looking from me to Kanda with looks of awe.

"I think that would be a marvelous idea," Tiedoll interjected, breaking the silence.

"N-not today, though. I'm far too tired from traveling," I waved off the notion with a nervous laugh.

"What? You were just talking like you thought you stood a chance. Backing out now? Coward," Kanda spat next to me. I turned to face him with a furrowed brow and slack jaw.

"Are you calling me a coward?" I asked for confirmation.

"Are you deaf?" he asked back, a smirk on his face now. My face pinkened with anger as my fists clenched. I quickly rose to my feet and took a step away from the table.

"The day I will ever be the slightest bit afraid of you is the day Komui will disown Lenalee!" I barked. The crowd around us ooed and awed, but I didn't care. I was done with the party at this point. Kanda had ruined my mood, like he was so good at doing, and I just wanted some fresh air. Turning on my heel, I stomped out of the cafeteria. That was one thing about being from southern Italy: you could be the nicest person alive, but you were world renowned for your temper. "Di tutti gli idioti insopportabile del mondo!*" I growled as I passed through the doorway.

"Eeeemiiii~!" Lavi murmured as he hurried after me. I was already outside when he caught up to me, but I wasn't feeling any better at all. "Are you really going to just leave the party like that?" he asked with a frown pressed on his lips.

"I can't believe I thought he was my friend!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands into the air.

"He IS your friend," Lavi tried to convince me. "If he wasn't, he wouldn't have bothered talking to you at all. That's just how Yuu is- don't you remember?"

"Oh, I remember," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "I can't believe I missed THAT guy! He's such a sourpuss," I muttered.

"Y-you missed Yuu?" Lavi asked, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Well, yeah," I said, my face turning a light shade of pink again. "I missed everyone. I had just gotten used to Kanda when he left," I admitted, a pout forming on my lips.

"But the way you just said it... EMI!" He screeched in my ear suddenly causing me to grit my teeth. "You're n-not...?"

"... EEEH!" my eyes grew wide with utter shock. "You're not about to ask me what I think you are, are you, Lavi?" I shrieked in disgust.

"Please tell me you're not in love with YUU!" he began to cry. I stopped, frozen in my tracks. Of all the most deplorable concepts in the universe, that one just took the cake!

"Lavi, please, you're going to make me sick," I said, clenching my stomach as I stuck my tongue out. "Kanda isn't the type of guy I would like, even if we were the last two human beings on the planet," I announced. Lavi seemed to sigh with relief, but then a curious look came to his face again.

"S-so then what sort of guy is it that you would like?" he asked suddenly. I couldn't help it; I was blushing furiously again and I quickly looked away from him. Today must have been International Embarrass Emiko Lazzarani Day. It just HAD to be! "Come on! Tell me!" he continued to press, moving to walk backwards in front of me.

"I-I-... That's personal, Lavi!" I peeped.

"Eeeeemiiii, I thought I was your best friend!" he whined.

"You are! But there's no need for you to know what sort of guy I like!"

"Well, fine then, I won't tell you what sort of girl I like then," he said, pointing his nose into the air. I just blinked at him for a moment before I sighed.

"You like older woman with long legs and shiny hair. Pretty much any woman, actually," I said, acting as if I was giving it any sort of thought. I hadn't forgotten the way he looked at Felicia back in Transylvania, and it wasn't the first time he'd yelled 'Strike!' at the sight of a pretty girl. Thinking back, he'd never said that about me... I did my best not to frown, but instead, just shook my head. "It doesn't matter anyways. We're exorcists. We don't have time to worry about romance," I bluffed.

"I guess you're right. That old Panda would be so mad if I spent all my time thinking about girls," Lavi laughed to himself. That only made my spirits all the more soggy, for lack of a better word. Where was Bookman? I hadn't seen him at the party. Did he really not like me that much? Or maybe he was out on a mission. He was a pretty important old man, after all.

"Where is your grandpa anyway?" I asked, just reaching for whatever I could to change the subject.

"I think they sent him off to Belgium to do some investigating. He's supposed to be on his way back within the next couple days. Why?"

"I... No reason," I said, forcing a smile back onto my face. "I hope Lenalee and the others aren't upset about me leaving the party. I-" I stopped because Lavi's gloved hands landed on my shoulders and he stopped walking backwards to stare me dead in the eyes.

"Emi, please don't worry about what my gramps has to say about our friendship. I'm not going to let that grumpy old man tell me who I'm allowed to care about, got it."

"Eh... Va bene*," I said quietly. It was far too early to go to sleep, so I decided to go change into proper clothing for training and head to the training room to practice with my Innocence some more. If I was going to be sparring with Kanda any time soon, I had to keep myself in shape. I was going to make that Japanese jerk eat his words.

* * *

I had ended up exhausting myself training that night and Lavi had to piggyback me to my room. It was so nice snuggling with my own pillows after months of traveling. On my nightstand next to my bed, the flowers Lavi had brought me before were completely dried up, but they were still so pretty. As usual, I woke up relatively early, but my timing was in between meals. It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch by the time I got to the cafeteria. A few finders were having brunch and it seemed Lavi was still in bed. Approaching the window, I beamed at the man who greeted me with such great vigor.

"Emi! So good to see you this morning! I do hope you got a good rest!" Jerry squealed at me.

"Yeah, it was so nice to be back in my own bed!" I replied.

"I bet! So, what is it you want to eat? I'll make you anything, just say it and it's yours!"

"I- er, well... hmmm," I began to muse. I didn't know what I wanted to eat. I didn't even really feel hungry, but I was trying to stick to the schedule I'd been on for the past two months so that I ate regularly before I collapsed due to weakness related to malnutrition, as I had been known to do in the past.

"How about some toast with jam - wheat, please - with two scrambled eggs, sausage and biscuits, and a glass of juice, eh?" I looked up to see Reever over my shoulder. I gasped out of happiness and nodded.

"That sounds delicious!" I beamed up at him. Aside from Lavi, Reever was probably one of my most favorite people at headquarters. Before I left, the Australian and I had become pretty good friends and I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him much at the party the day before as I had stormed out. After we got our plates, we took a seat. I was so glad I didn't have to eat alone. To me, meal times were times of togetherness and, since I had arrived at the Order, I never wanted to eat alone again.

"So, how was your training?" he asked me with a smile.

"It was pretty good, actually. Lavi scared me so many times though," I laughed.

"He scared you?" Reever repeated with an arched brow.

"Yeah, he was trying to train me to activate my Innocence when I became startled, so that it would be reflex, but it took me a while to get used to his, er, methods," I explained. Reever just grinned.

"Sounds to me like Lavi is your Komui," he chuckled.

"Eh?" I blinked in confusion.

"He's always causing trouble for me, even though he usually has good intentions. He's my boss though, and probably the closest thing I have to a best friend," he elaborated.

"Ah, then yes, Lavi is definitely my Komui," I grinned. Throughout our brunch, we continued to talk and catch up. He asked me how my weapon was holding up, and I declared that it had definitely grown on me. I was close to mastering my abilities with it, and Reever seemed happy about that.

"That means you might be able to unlock your level two abilities soon," he said jubilantly. I just blinked at him with a puzzled look on my face, but before he could explain, a small black golem fluttered up next to his head.

"Reever," Komui's voice came through. "We've got some suspicious activity outside near the gates. I need you here asap."

"Right, Chief," Reever said. He rose to excuse himself from the table, and I stood too.

"Can't I come with you?" I asked, my eyes shining with hope. Lavi wasn't going to be up yet and I didn't want to wander around by myself yet.

"I don't see why not. Let's get moving," he grinned at me.

* * *

When we arrived in the surveillance room, the entire science department seemed to be there along with Lenalee. She smiled at me when I entered behind Reever.

"Good morning, Emi," she smiled.

"Hi, Lenalee," I waved back. "What's going on?"

"There's someone down at the gates claiming to be sent here by one of the generals, only we didn't hear anything about this. Gatekeeper is preforming a scan-"

"AKUMA! HE HAS THE MARK OF THE AKUMA! NOT HUMAN!" the Gatekeeper began to wail.

"Oi, am I glad I didn't have to hear all that when I got here," I muttered with a bewildered look on my face. "Could that boy really be an akuma?" I asked, looking at the screen.

"We can't be sure," Reever said behind me.

"But Kanda is already taking care of it," Lenalee added. The next thing I knew, I was watching as Kanda fell from the sky, as he always did. I don't know how he always managed to do that. Whenever he showed up, he always entered with unnecessary drama, and somehow he always fell from great heights without a single scratch on him. Without hesitating though, he attacked the boy with the white hair. After a lot of running and screaming, and the boy's arm turning into a massive metallic claw, everyone was suddenly looking for an envelope addressed to Komui from General Cross.

"I don't know how he can find anything in that mess of an office," I said quietly.

"No, this is all going to end up being my fault," Reever sighed, his shoulders wilting in defeat. "Emi, we're going to be very busy here now. Why don't you go find Lavi? I'm sure he's up by now. Someone has to keep him out of trouble," he added with a small grin.

"You're right... If he gets bored, he'll just torment some poor innocent Finders. See you, Reever! Thanks for entertaining me for a while," I said happily, waving farewell to the others as well.

It turned out that Lavi hadn't actually got up yet, but I decided it was time for him to. I knocked on his door, but when he didn't answer, I just pushed the door open. I don't know what, but this morning I was feeling particularly mischievous. Lavi's room was a mess. He had clothes strewn out all over the place! I wrinkled my nose and did my best to tiptoe my way inside. There, Lavi slept with drool cascading from the corner of his mouth.

"I wonder what he's so giddy about," I muttered with a droll stare on my face as I looked down at him.

"Ehuhuhuhu, striiiiike~!" he began in his sleep. I nearly fell over in disbelief. Had he not said the night before that Bookman would have been angry if all Lavi thought about was girls? It seemed the younger Bookman had a one-tracked mind, though.

"I'm really sorry about this Lavi," I whispered. "But it's time for you to WAKE UP!" I yelled the last two words. Lavi shot up out of his bed like a rocket with the most afraid look I'd seen on his face yet - even compared to when he'd been sucked into that foggy vortex by that akuma. I thought he was going to karate chop the side of my head, but he seemed to snap out of it when he realized it was me, and I couldn't help but giggle. "Good afternoon, Sleep Head," I teased.

"Emi!" Lavi gasped. "You can't do that to me! I could have killed you!"

"Highly doubtful," I grinned. "Anyways, I'm bored and you slept in too late. It's already about lunch time. And, Kanda almost killed a new exorcist."

"Eh? A new exorcist?" he asked, sliding down the wall to flop down on his bed before he slid off and began to grope around for his boots. One of them was near me, so I kicked it over to him.

"I don't know how you can find anything in here," I said to him.

"It's an organized mess," he shot back with a lazy smile.

"Oh yeah? Then where's your other boot?" I asked.

"There," he pointed. I turned to look, and, sure enough, there it was.

"Curse you and your photographic memory," I mumbled, sticking my tongue out before turning and tossing his other boot over to him. "But yeah, it's a younger boy, maybe fourteen or fifteen, with white hair. He said his name was... um... Allen-something and he was sent here by General... Cross?" I repeated, trying my best to remember all the names.

"Cross's apprentice?" Lavi said, his interest peaked. I nodded. "I bet he's one hell of an exorcist then. Come on, I want to go meet him!" Before too long, we were outside the infirmary.

"Lavi, maybe it's not the right time to bother Allen. I mean, he's new here, and from all that commotion in there, it sounds like Komui's given him a hard time," I began to say.

"Hmm... I suppose you're right... But as soon as Gramps gets back here, he's going to want to meet him. We'll let him rest for now, then," he agreed. I sighed with relief. Still, Lavi seemed very set on meeting Allen, and I had to wonder why.

"Lavi, what's this about General Cross that makes Allen so interesting?" I asked.

"Well, Cross went missing not too long ago. Allen's going to be our key to finding him."

"Oh, so General Cross is very important, then?" I asked.

"All the generals are, Emi. You should know that by now. They're the strongest of all of us and our teachers. Cross doesn't take apprentices too often, so Allen's gotta be something special. I guess we'll just wait and see what Hevlaska has to say about him later."

"Hevlaska," I mused, remembering the ancient exorcist. "Oh! That makes me wonder if my synchro-ratio has gotten any better!"

"Most likely," Lavi said with a smile. "You've gotten a lot better! Which reminds me, when were you planning on sparring with Yuu?"

"Umm..." I paled. "Maybe when he's in a better mood," I suggested. Lavi only laughed. It wasn't a very productive day. "Do you think we'll be sent out on another mission soon?" I asked.

"Well, from looking at the reports lately, it seems akuma activity is increasing, so it's very likely we'll be sent out again. I'd like to at least see my gramps before we leave, though. It's been too long and I'm sure he'll want my reports. Unless they send you out with Kanda or Lenalee, we probably will be here for a few days," he went on.

"Ah, I suppose you're right," I said in a small voice. How could I forget that Lavi was also a Bookman and he had twice as much responsibilities as I did. Still, I wasn't happy about Bookman coming back. Even though Lavi tried to give me peace on that matter, I was still worrying.

"Lavi?" I questioned. He stopped and turned to me expectantly. "You said the akuma activity was increasing. Is it really getting all that serious?" I asked.

"It's too early to tell, but I believe that the Millennium Earl is getting restless. He's starting to cause more waves than usual. We could be getting into something far more serious than we've ever seen. I'm sure some things will piece together soon, then I'll be able to tell you more, but for now, let's just focus on what we have to, alright?"

"Va bene," I said again with a nod. He was right, there was no use in sweating anything yet, at least not until I knew exactly what I was sweating. If the akuma really were becoming more active, though, Bookman might be the least of my problems.

* * *

**Author's Note**

This chapter was a little boring, but my story is finally in sync with the actual DGM story! I'm sorry this one was so slow. It seems like it's mostly a filler chapter, but Lavi and Emi are going on another mission soon and then they'll officially meet Allen! Great fun, ne?

THANK YOU to everyone who's following and/or reading this story! I do have a lot of readers, or so says my stats page, but I would really appreciate it if more people left reviews, even if it's just to let me know you've really read it! Reviews are always loved!

Be sure to check out the DGM C2 that Arista Lycoris and I have started!

-Emm

ch 13 - 3598  
**Total - 47,327**

**Translations:  
***Di tutti gli idioti insopportabile del mondo! - Of all the insufferable idiots in the world! (Italian)  
*Va bene - Okay (Italian)


	14. The Akuma's Hostage

The very next day, it seemed, Allen was sent with Kanda on a mission. Ever since Allen arrived at the Order, Lavi began to act strange. He was much quieter than usual, like he had something very heavy on his mind, so I just gave him some space and continued to train. The day after that, Bookman returned and pulled Lavi aside. I didn't see either of them until dinner time that night when they both sat with me, Lavi bringing an extra plate of yakiniku, his favorite meal.

"Eh? Thank you, Lavi," I said as he sank into the seat next to me.

"Don't mention it. I figured you'd be hungry and hadn't decided on what you wanted yet," he said with a smile.

"And this is... normal?" Bookman asked as he sat across the table from me. A pink glow came to my cheeks and I hung my head slightly as I reached for my food.

"I told you, Gramps, I look out for her. Emi is my friend," Lavi said as if he were challenging the old man to dispute the issue. Bookman just gave him a droll stare and looked down at his own plate of grilled meat. The only difference was that, next to Bookman's plate was a large bowl of vanilla pudding. There was an odd tension between the two of them. I had to wonder if Bookman really was Lavi's grandfather or not. I didn't know much about the Bookman clan. Maybe I would ask Lavi to explain things later, or find someone else, like Komui or Lenalee, who could explain things to me. Still, I felt odd eating with Bookman there.

"So it seems the three of us are being dispatched on a mission in the morning," Bookman said in his old gruff voice suddenly.

"The... three of us?" I repeated. I felt my heart sink. Lavi had been right about assuming we'd be sent out.

"Sounds like fun," Lavi beamed. I looked up at him and gulped, an uneasy smile finding its way to my lips. "Where we headed?"

"Poland," Bookman said simply.

"What's in Poland?" I asked, trying to just stay involved in the conversation.

"Akuma activity, of course," Bookman replied. Boy, did I feel like an idiot. I felt like I was shrinking as my golden eyes once more gave their attention to my dinner, an idle hand moving up to twirl some of my dark curly hair that was sitting on my shoulder. If I could have morphed into a mouse, I would have, and run as far away as possible.

"Don't be like that, you old crusty Panda," Lavi scolded. For a moment, I thought the tiny Bookman was going to leap over the table and strangle his grandson, but he calmed himself and took a large bite of food to chew his rage away on.

"The people there are afraid that a succubus is plaguing their town. We have reason to believe that it's actually a well-evolved akuma preying on men, young and old. I requested to go along with you on this mission because I know my idiot grandson will wind up getting his ass killed."

"Why you-"

"A succubus?" I questioned. "You mean the female demon that eats the souls of men? Hmm... Well, yeah, I'm definitely glad you requested to go with us. I don't know if I'd be able to save Lavi from that fate," I said with a big smile. Bookman gave Lavi a triumphant grin.

"Charming friend you have, Lavi," he chuckled. Lavi pouted at me, but I just smiled at him. He couldn't help it and grinned back. Maybe I would survive Bookman's wrath just yet. I guess I would find out when we headed out in the morning.

* * *

We reached our destination about four days later. Traveling with Lavi and Bookman wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. Both of them liked to give the other a hard time. It was everything I'd expected from Lavi, but Bookman was a complete surprise to me. Any time Lavi teased him, the old man resorted to violence without a second thought. It shocked me that Lavi continued to pester him, even after such severe beatings, but then again, it only supported my theory that my red-haired friend was a glutton for pain.

The town was of moderate size as the sun beat down on us from high in the sky. The streets were busy as people went about their day. Nothing seemed to be at all out of the ordinary. Still, I was keeping an open eye out, just in case. I had to remind myself that akuma hid in crowds pretending to be humans. Even the weakest akuma had this ability. It was just my luck that the past ones I'd encountered were enjoying their monster status. Those that were like Amaury were the most dangerous kind.

"Bookman," I questioned, stepping up next to the old man. "How do we know what we're looking for?"

"We're to meet up with a Finder named Joshua at the inn. He's already been here for a few days gathering information and he will brief us and give us his leads."

"Ah," I blinked. I hadn't really been on any missions that involved Finders yet. Well, at least we would be given some leads to follow, and that alone took some of the stress off my shoulders.

"So we're headed to an inn then?" Lavi questioned. "Good, because I'm so damn thirsty," I sighed.

"Lavi," I scowled. "Watch your mouth."

"Sorry, Emi," he grinned at me. I rolled my eyes and Bookman shook his head slightly. The old man cursed more than Lavi did, but I wasn't going to get onto him for it. I wanted him to like me, after all. Plus, I figured he was old enough to be stuck in his ways. I didn't know exactly how old he was, but I knew he was old enough that he'd prefer to continue doing things as he had always been doing them throughout his life.

We found the inn with relative ease, and Joshua was even easier to find because of his long tan overcoat that all the Finders wore. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, kind brown eyes and short tawny hair. Under his left eye, he had a small black triangle tattooed which reminded me of a beauty mark of sorts. We decided to retreat to one of the rooms he'd already booked for us to hear the information he'd gathered.

"So, this succubus thing?" Lavi questioned.

"I'm almost certain it's an akuma," Joshua said as he lowered his hood.

"Mm," Bookman nodded.

"Witnesses have stated that men have been lured away from this town at night by the sound of a woman's voice," Joshua explained.

"Like a siren?" I asked.

"Precisely," he replied. "I believe it's a level two akuma with hypnotic abilities. It tends to target young and strong men, though, so I advice you proceed with caution from here, especially you," he went on, looking at Lavi as he finished.

"As if I'd let some akuma hypnotize me. I know the different between a beautiful woman and a horrid demon," Lavi waved off.

"Is that why you cried like a baby on our last mission?" I muttered quietly. Lavi shot me an evil glare, but I just grinned back at him.

"That doesn't count!" he argued.

"Sure sure, quello che dicono,*" I waved him off, rolling my eyes.

"There's something else," Joshua added.

"Eh?" I asked as both Bookmen turned to look at the Finder expectantly.

"Within the past few days, reports of women- normal townswomen- have been coming in. Instead of following a voice, men have been led out of town by familiar women and both of them have vanished in each instance."

"Why didn't you say that before?" I asked, feeling my skin drain of color.

"So, the akuma is becoming stronger then... I suppose the men in this town began to wise up and avoid venturing out at night to avoid the supposed succubus... Instead, it's switched its target to the women, using its abilities on them to lure the men away from safety," Bookman began to speculate.

"Yes, that's what I was also thinking," Joshua nodded. "Stay together and stay alert. That's the only advice I can give to you at this point."

* * *

That night, after dinner, Lavi and Bookman retreated back to their room leaving me alone with Joshua for a little while. I didn't mind it; I knew that, as Bookmen, the two of them had some important business to review. Lavi had been waiting for a chance to get alone with his grandfather ever since we'd left headquarters. My assumption was that it was to tell Bookman everything he'd experienced since we left headquarters over two months prior, so you can imagine how shocked I was when I went upstairs to retire to my room and overheard the two men talking, not about the events that had transpired, but about Allen Walker.

"Hevlaska really determined that the boy is the Destroyer of Time?" Bookman's voice sounded through the door.

"Yeah, that's what Komui's report said, anyway. What'd ya think about that?" Lavi's bored tone responded.

"Hmm... I'm not entirely sure. You know a well as I do that many cultures across the globe have predicted the destruction of mankind. It almost seems inevitable, but it's also possible that Allen Walker could be a key to all those predictions. It could be metaphoric, or very literal."

"As in, Destroyer of Time, like a time period, or Destroyer of Time as in existence as a whole?" Lavi inquired.

"Both, it's far too early to even begin speculating what the title could mean. You've seen how quickly mankind moves to destroy itself. The boy could put a stop to war and bring a time of peace upon us, or he could very well turn the last page of our existence. After we return from this mission, I think it would be very much in our best interest to keep an eye on him."

"For the sake of recording the true history of the world?"

"Precisely."

"There's something else that I find to be quite troublesome," Bookman said suddenly.

"Eh? What's that?"

"This war between the exorcists and the Earl... I believe it may very well climax soon."

"Why do you say that, Gramps?"

"Because sightings of the Noah Clan have started coming in. That's what I was investigating in Portugal."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Lavi exclaimed, suddenly sounding worked up when he had been bored with the conversation only moments ago.

"Do I look like the type of person to be making jokes!" Bookman growled back.

"I don't know... Pandas can be pretty funny sometimes!"

"Idiot!" came Bookman's roar. The next thing I knew, there was a loud crash and Lavi came flying out of the door, head first, before crashing into the wall opposite of his room.

"L-Lavi!" I stammered, my amber eyes bugging out of my head. I was utterly shocked by the sudden crash, but I also didn't want him to think I was eavesdropping.

"Gyah~! What a grouchy old man!" Lavi whined, clenching his head.

"You need to learn when to be serious!" Bookman barked from inside the room. Lavi just grumbled some more before he looked up at me as if he'd just realized I was standing there.

"Eh? Emi? Is something the matter?" he asked.

"N-no," I stammered. "I was just headed to shower and get some sleep when you crashed through the door. Are you alright?" I quickly lied.

"Uuuh, yup! I think I'm okay!" he grinned as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. "That old Panda never does any permanent damage, so don't worry," he chuckled, patting me on top of my head. I quickly side stepped around him and began to back up towards my room, a nervous laugh bubbling in my throat as I waved to him.

"Alright! Well, I'm very tired, so I'm going to go to sleep now. Try not to pester your grandfather so much and get some rest. I'll see you in the morning! Goodnight!" I said very quickly before slipping into my room and shutting the door. My heart was pounding in my ears as my mind raced, trying to process everything I'd just heard. Allen was what? The war was escalating? Who were the Noah Clan? I didn't understand any of it, but, as I shed off my uniform and stood, surrounded by steam in my shower, my mind soon began to calm itself and all those thoughts were pushed aside. By the time I got out, dried off, and crawled into bed, I was daydreaming about the war being over, the Earl being defeated, and finally getting a chance to live my life in peace with the red-haired man of my dreams...

* * *

I was asleep not two minutes after my head hit my pillow, and I guess I must have been in the deepest slumber I could manage. It felt like, just as I drifted off, I was suddenly awake again, my eyes extending to the size of fine china. If I had been a cat, the hairs along my spine would have been completely on end as I jolted upright with my jaw clenched, half expecting to be attacked.

"EMI! WAKE UP, QUICK! THE INN IS BURNING DOWN!" shouted Lavi's voice from the doorway.

"AAAYYEEE~!" I screamed before losing my balance and toppling over out of my bed. I was about to panic, like lose my mind entirely, but the sound of Lavi's evil cackling slithered into my ear canal causing me to sigh the heaviest sigh that I've probably ever exhaled.

"Ahahaha! You should have seen your face!" he began to tease. My face, if I could see it, I bet was beet red as I sat up on the floor, clad in my tank top and shorts. My hair was loose for once and in a matted mess surrounding my already large head (or forehead, more specifically). I scowled at Lavi and crossed my arms.

"That's not funny, Lavi," I pouted. Really, it was a little insensitive on his part. The night we'd first met, I had, after all, woken up to my house burning down around me. How had he forgotten that.

"Aw, Emi, I didn't mean it like that," he cooed at me, walking across the threshold of my room to extend me a hand to help me rise to my feet. I gave him a flat stare before taking his hand and rising, dusting the exposed flesh of my shins of dirt. "I just thought I'd get you back for waking me up like that the other day."

"I didn't run in your room screaming the Order was being attacked by vampires," I said, a hint of spite in my words.

"True," Lavi agreed with a small nod. "So, how about to make up for being suuuch an idiot, I take you out for breakfast?" he asked. I gave him a puzzled look and glanced out my window. It really was morning. Lavi was awake before lunch. I was shocked. Maybe Bookman had something to do with it, but I just shrugged the mystery off and turned back to blink up at him.

"Don't we have a mission we're supposed to be taking care of?" I asked.

"Eh, we can't really do anything until something 'supernatural' happens. Until then, we just 'patrol' the streets," he said with a grin and a thumbs up.

"And by that you mean aimlessly wander around and goof off?" I asked.

"See, now you're getting the idea! Now get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs in twenty!"

Half an hour later, Lavi and I were walking down the street looking for a nice cafe to have breakfast in. The town was very much the way it had been the day before. The streets were busy and the people were going about their business as if they hadn't any problems in the world. For a moment, I almost thought I was on vacation. I had no idea that Lavi and I were even being followed as we sat down and ordered some delicious pastries for breakfast.

"U-um, excuse me," came a small feminine voice. Lavi and I both looked up from our drinks to see a girl, possibly fifteen years old or so, with long orange-yellow hair and green eyes. Freckles spotted her face, which wore a nervous expression as she blinked over at us. "I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your meal, but, you two aren't from around here, are you?"

"No," I responded, wondering whether or not a large question mark was hanging above my head. The girl looked alarmed suddenly and she bowed her head in a quick apology.

"Eh! I'm so sorry! My name is Lidia! I was just wondering because rumors have been going around town that people were going to be arriving soon to investigate the vanishing people!" she said very quickly.

"Ah, yeah, that would be us," Lavi said with a proud smirk on his face.

"Eeeeh! Really?" Lidia asked, her eyes shining with hope. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yup, we're here to get to the bottom of things," I reassured her happily. Then something occurred to me. "Don't tell me you're related to one of the victims," I said with a small frown. The girl's happiness withered away suddenly and she gave me a small sorrowful nod. "Ah, I'm so sorry," I said, my eyebrows caving in with sympathy.

"N-no! It's alright! Actually, I have some things I'd like to share with you, but I don't have time to talk now. You're staying at the inn down the street?" she asked. Lavi and I both nodded. "Then I'll come by this evening when I'm threw with work!" she declared.

"Okay, I'm Lavi, by the way, and this is Emi," Lavi quickly introduced us. Lidia was already headed out the door.

"Alright! Nice meeting you! I'll see you later!" she peeped quickly before disappearing from our line of view.

"Odd girl," Lavi said with a shrug.

"Hmm," I mused back. She was odd, but if she had a lead for us, I had no problems talking to her later.

* * *

Nothing spectacular really happened the rest of the day. Night time was upon us once more. Bookman had spent all day with Joshua interviewing people about the recent "attacks" that had happened and Lavi and I just wandered around the town the rest of the day, aside from when Lavi decided it was time for a nap and we returned to the inn for a couple of hours. I didn't nap, though, because I knew that if I did, I wouldn't sleep that night. Little did I know that my night wasn't going to welcome much sleep, anyway.

I was downstairs reading a book while Lavi was still napping away. I was starting to wonder if Lidia was even going to show up at all. The cafe part of the inn was nearly empty and I began debating whether or not to go to sleep for the night when the door finally opened and the girl with the pale orange hair wandered in with the same shy expression on her freckled face she'd worn earlier that day. When she saw me, Lidia beamed and wandered over.

"Sorry I'm so late! I had a hard time closing shop tonight because my co-worker took the evening off," she said as she sat down across from me.

"Oh, no worries," I smiled back.

"What happened to your friend?" she asked, looking around to discover that the two of us were essentially alone.

"He wore himself out and had to lay down for a bit," I chortled. "You can talk to me, though. I can always just re-cap it for him in the morning."

"Ah, okay then," she continued to smile. Then, I noticed that her smile turned more into a sneer. I blinked in surprise as her eyes began to shift into a yellow color. "I'd much rather have you alone for now, exorcist," her voice said, becoming almost hollow as she spoke. I went to rise to my feet. I was going to activate my Innocence- I couldn't believe I'd been caught alone with an akuma like this! However, before I could even raise my fist, my body froze.

"I sensed your Innocence this morning and decided you'd make a lovely addition to my team of soulless humans. The Earl will be so pleased with me when he finds out I've caught, not one, but two of you exorcist scum in my grasp."

"L-Lidia-!" I stammered, but my body was still frozen in place. Then, the akuma's lips stopped moving and my body started to relax. I tried to move my arms, but I couldn't do it. Lidia's voice laughed inside my head.

_"Don't you see now, exorcist? I've got you in my trap. Your body is mine to control and all you can do is helplessly float inside your own head and watch me destroy everything you love. I think I'll start with that red-haired boy I saw you with this morning. What was his name- Lavi?"_

_"N-no!"_ my voice screamed, but it only echoed in my ears. I couldn't make my lips move, but my body was already turning to walk upstairs. _"Stop it! Please!" _I begged. I walked forward, stopping outside Lavi's bedroom door. My knuckles rose to give the door a light tap.

"Lavi? Are you alright? You've been asleep forever," my body began to speak in my voice. A moment passed before the door opened, and when it did, Lavi emerged, rubbing the sleep from his eye, his bandana hanging from around his neck.

"E-Emi...?" Lavi questioned. As if I was looking at myself from above, I saw a grin spread across my face.

_"LAVI! Non date retta a lei, idiota!*"_

* * *

**Author's Note**

Alright so I had a LOT of fun coming up with the plot for this entire mission. I don't know how many chapters it will extend. I'm hoping to keep it going until I get into chapter 16, though. I've been re-watching the anime, so you'll find that all of the CC's personalities have been put back into character (if I strayed too far, that is). Now that my fic is caught up to the anime, you'll see a lot of the actual plot from DGM entering into play. I know that lately, Emi's character has been sort of here and there, so I'm going to be working on reflecting on the character she should be over the next few chapters. She's going to do a sort of self-evaluation so that I can get her back on track along with the CC's.

• This chapter breaks **50,000 words**!

If you read this, PLEASE **submit a revie**w! I'd like to know which characters readers would like to see more of and what sort of scenes people are interested in seeing Emi involved in (I know Arista and I were talking about when our OC's have their first run in with Sir Komurin!). I'd also like to extend another **thank you** to all of those readers of mine who have read all 14 chapters up to this point. Your support means the world to me!

If you didn't see my updated profile page by now, the picture is one Arista edited for me to resemble Emi. I also announced that updates will now be posted on** Monday and/or Thursday evenings**, if I have an update ready to be posted. I'm planning on writing chapters ahead of time so that I always have something to post, at least one day a week.

• If you have a DGM story, just send me a PM and I'll see about adding it to my and Arista's** DGM C2**! _Welcome to the Black Order._

[Aug 04, 2011]

**Translations**:  
*quello che dicono - whatever you say (Italian)  
* _Non date retta a lei, idiota! - _Don't listen to her, idiot! (Italian)

**Word Count**:  
Ch 14 - 3583  
**Total - 50,910**


	15. A Team Divided

My name is Emiko Gabriella Lazzarani and I'm seventeen years old. I recently found out that I have this connection, so to speak, with something called Innocence. That means that I, and people like me, are destined to travel the world and save souls that have been held captive by demons known as akuma. I am an exorcist and I work for an organization known as the Black Order. My friends call me Emi.

That's who I am, now. At least, that's how I thought of myself. My life had become far more complicated than I ever imagined, and it all happened the day that I met Lavi Bookman Jr. Before Lavi had come into my life, I'd been normal, for the most part. Aside from the fact that I knew five different styles of martial arts and was skilled in over twenty different classes of weaponry by the age of ten, my life had been pretty uneventful. My brother Ren was two years older than me and our father was a strict Italian military man. It was our mother who was our salvation and gave us any chance at being normal children. That is, until Ren fell ill and died and Mother was stricken with grief and refused to get out of bed or even speak. Since my father was always away from home, serving our country and the Vatican, from the age of eight all the way until I reached seventeen, caring for Mother fell on my shoulders. I was relatively quiet and shy, but dutiful and stubborn. I can't say that those qualities have changed much in me since joining the Black Order, but something about me had certainly changed since leaving Italy.

The very first moment my eyes met Lavi's, they were welled with tears. Mother had had a bad day, which meant that I had had a bad day. I was frustrated and lonely. I knew my father had lost his feelings for my mother years prior. He rarely came to see us. The last time had been months before that fateful day. His last gift to me was the brass knuckles that had eventually been converted into my anti-akuma weapon. Little did I know, the weapon had Innocence tied to it, Innocence that chose me as its accommodator.

While I had been a shy girl in Italy, I'd always been someone willing to help out, no matter what the task was. I didn't have any friends, but it was because I preferred to isolate myself. I didn't like people asking me how Mother was feeling because the woman never got any better, and I just hated that sympathetic look people gave me. "Poor Emi, she's been forced to grow up at such a young age," they would whisper behind my back, and I wasn't unaware of it. Venturing from our small farm house into the actual village was always a heavy task. The rumors people spread about the girl with the golden streak in her hair were everywhere. I avoided people as much as I could, but when they did feel brave enough to approach me, for whatever reason, I couldn't turn my back on them. In some weird way, I'd learned to love the people of my village. Still, when Lavi asked me to become an exorcist and leave that world behind, I didn't even hesitate. I had nothing. My home had been burned to the ground and my mother's body had been trapping my brother's soul for so many years. My father was gone, and I assumed he'd already started another family somewhere else, so, what reason did I possibly have for remaining in the seaside village?

I always thought of myself as strong. After my brother died, I swore I would never cry again. The very sensation of crying became unfamiliar to me. Feeling any emotion other than stubborn anger was alien. I didn't even enjoy the tastes of foods. I made bland foods necessary for keeping myself alive. I trained hard. I cared for my bedridden mother. I'd forgotten what exhaustion really felt like, but mainly because I was in a constant state of it. I often would fall asleep, not even making it to my own bed, and I'd wake up on the beach where I trained with my stomach eating me alive. It wasn't until the Order became my home that I realized how weak I'd truly been. I had changed since I moved to headquarters. I became stronger. I'd made friends. I'd learned to care about people and I'd learned my physical limitations. Well, I hadn't really learned them, but I had learned how to stay on a schedule so that they couldn't be a hindrance to me. I learned to smile and feel real emotions. While Kanda may have believed the emotions bit was a weakness, I believed it to be a strength. I had a reason to fight and to go on. I wasn't just floating through an abyssal routine, day after day anymore. I wanted to fight at my friend's side. I wanted to destroy the Millennium Earl for what he'd done to my family.

I was strong.

Yet, there I was, floating in a void while my body was acting against me. I was in my room now standing before the vanity where my brush and other items were strewn out. There was something different about my face. The arrogant smirk planted on it didn't suit me. The expression was one that wasn't my own. The amber eyes, the dark wavy hair with the single blonde stripe, the big forehead and small pointed nose - they were all mine, but the expression manipulating them was not.

"Look here, exorcist," my lips began to move. "You make yourself look so plain. Why don't we give this a try." My hand reached up and tugged the hair tie from my hair. The wavy mass exploded around me before my hand reached for the brush and began to tame it down. "Do you see that? You look so much prettier and mature with your hair down. Maybe he'd pay more attention to you if you put more effort into dolling yourself up!" my voice began to patronize.

_"You don't know what you're talking about!" _I cried inside my head.

"Oh? I don't? You forget, I'm in your head now, exorcist. I know your every thought and every feeling. How else would I manage pretending to be you? You and this Lavi seem to be pretty close. I wonder if he is at all aware of your affections for him. Maybe if we add a little make up here, and some gloss here-" Lidia's voice continued as she began to apply beauty products to my face. "He'd see you more than just some helpless girl he has to look after. I wonder how far I can get him to go tonight," she smirked again.

Somehow, Lidia had struck a nerve. That unfamiliar feeling returned to me once more. It was the same emptiness I'd felt that evening on the beach when I'd met Lavi. I felt like I couldn't breathe and my eyes burned. I wasn't helpless! I wasn't! ... Was I? Lavi had saved my life so many times. He rarely ever left me alone... He even ordered my food for me, breakfast, lunch, and dinner because I couldn't do so for myself. Did he really see me as a burden to him?

_"Please, Lidia, don't hurt Lavi!" _I began to plead. _"I'll do whatever you want! Just please don't hurt him!"_

"Stupid exorcist. I'm an akuma and I serve the Millennium Earl. I'm not just going to hurt Lavi; I'm going to kill him, with your hands. I'm going to make you all suffer so that the Earl will praise me for being such a devoted servant! He will love me, just as he loves the Noah. Your deaths will get me the recognition I deserve!"

_"NO!" _I screamed, but Lidia only chortled some more. My pain was only feeding her ego...

* * *

We were standing outside the inn now, and by "we," I mean Lidia in my body. The moon was high in the sky. The air was warm and there was a light breeze blowing by, not that I could feel it. I could see the trees swaying along with it in the most gentle of ways. I couldn't feel anything. I was still just floating in what seemed to be a corner of my own mind. Lidia was the one in charge of my nervous system. I had no power. No one could hear me. I might as well have not existed. Still, I could feel my own emotions like I were still in my own physical body. I could sense my heartbeat, but not the one of my body. It was like I had been duplicated, shrunk, and then trapped within my skull, just behind my eyes. I was an audience to what should have been my life. Behind my body, the door opened and Lavi came out. His bandana had been replaced on his head and his orange scarf hung loosely around his shoulders. I wanted to scream again, but I wouldn't give Lidia that satisfaction.

"O-oh! Emi, you look really pretty," Lavi said with a surprised smile.

"Y-yeah!" Lidia replied, trying to imitate how timid I normally would have acted. "I just figured it was such a beautiful night, I should let my hair down for once. Ready for our walk?" she asked.

"I thought you said we were going to go find Lidia since she never came by," he said, confused and scratching his head.

"I did!" Lidia stumbled. "But we have to walk to get there, right?" she asked, giggling girlishly before she wrapped her arms around one of Lavi's and began to lead him away. I couldn't take it anymore. My temper was rising and I was openly admitting to myself that I was afraid.

_"Lavi! Don't let her fool you! Tu ragazzo stupido!*"_

I felt Lidia smirk as she rested her head on Lavi's shoulder. Lavi blinked and looked down at the woman he believed to be me. I could tell that he was a little taken aback by how forward he thought "I" was being suddenly. I wasn't really the affectionate type. The only times I'd hugged Lavi were when I was sobbing like an idiot. I'd never just touched him to be close to him before, and, while I called him dumb all the time, I knew he'd notice this difference. Then, as if she were reading my thoughts, Lidia let go of Lavi's arm and quickly took a side step away from him, looking down as she pretended to be embarrassed.

"I-I'm so sorry, Lavi! I don't know what's gotten into me!" she began to stammer.

"N-no! It's alright, Emi! You didn't do anything!" he began to try to make me feel better. I wondered what was going through his head. Was it really okay? What if that HAD been me? My heart was racing, my eyes quivered in their sockets, and my hands found their way to my mouth, covering it as if I were trying to stop my actual form from saying anything else. Lidia's laughter sounded in the void around me, but her bashful façade continued in the physical world.

"Are you sure?" she asked him. "I know we've been friends for a long time, but surely you've noticed that I... I..." she began to fake embarrassment again.

Lavi's hand extended and landed on her shoulder. When she turned to face him with a surprised look on MY face, he was smiling.

"I think it's a bit late to go to Lidia's house by now. Why don't we go for a walk on the edge of town? I bet the river is beautiful under the full moon," he said, pointing up to the sky. Lidia looked up at the moon and then smiled.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!"

* * *

Lidia and Lavi stopped at the edge of the river just on the outskirts of town. Lavi had been right; the moon shimmering down on the passive river was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever witnessed, but it wasn't me witnessing it with him. No, it was that horrid akuma!

"Oh! It's so pretty!" Lidia said with my voice. "I'm so glad I got to share this moment with you, Lavi!"

"Yeah, I'm glad, too," Lavi said with a smile.

"No, Lavi! Don't fall for it! You're smarter than that!" I cried, but a girlish chuckle came to my ears once more as I watched Lidia nudge my body closer to Lavi's. Her knuckles gently tapped his and he looked down with another surprised look on his face. Lidia squeaked and quickly cradled her hand. "Eh! I'm sorry!" she peeped, as if it was a complete accident.

"No, it's alright," Lavi's voice said. It was eerily tranquil. Then my jaw dropped. He reached out and took my hand into his, lacing his fingers with mine. I wanted to scream. What was he thinking? Did he really have feelings for me and was taking this chance to act on it? Or was he just being a guy who was taking advantage of his situation?

_"See, I knew he'd like you more if you actually put some effort into being more of a woman. Lavi likes women, after all, not little girls," _Lidia's voice mocked me as she sighed and put her head on Lavi's shoulder once more.

_"Shut up! STOP IT!" _I screamed back at her, but her laugher just met my ears again, surrounding me and sending chills up my spine.

_"It's such a shame you get to see his true feelings now, because I'll be killing him very soon. I bet his blood is nice and warm, and you'll look stunning covered it in. The townspeople will find you over his lifeless form. I wonder if I should leave your life in their hands. I wonder what your other friends will think of you when they find out. I wish I could be there to see their faces..."_

_"SHUT UP!" _I screeched, covering my ears. I hated it. I hated all of it. I was helpless, just like Lidia said. I couldn't do anything to stop this from happening. She was in control of my body and I couldn't break through at all. Tears welled in my eyes once more, spilling down the convex shape of my cheek. I was done for.

"S-so, then I guess you've known all this time?" Lidia whispered to Lavi.

"Well, I didn't at first. I can be pretty dense sometimes, you know?" Lavi laughed. "But it all makes sense to me. I should have noticed much sooner."

"Oh, Lavi, this makes me so happy!" she cheered quietly. She turned my body to face him. The gentle look in his eye was enough to make my heart pound in my ears, but all I could do was sob. I was completely aware of my infatuation with Lavi by now. There was no denying it. I dreamed of him looking at me like that on multiple occasions. I'd been hoping that he'd just realize one day that I did have feelings for him, whatever they were or however strong they were. I'd still been fighting them, though. Our lives were constantly on the line. We were soldiers in a war, and something as trivial as my first real crush was something that I felt couldn't be addressed. No, I had to be strong. But that look on his face. I wish I could feel his hand in mine.

"Emi, I'm so glad you've become my friend," he said quietly, reaching up to stroke my cheek affectionately.

"But, Lavi, I don't want to be just friends," Lidia said, my voice slithering its way through the air. I would never talk like that! Lavi had to notice! Her words were far too bold to be mine!

_"Lavi, you've got to be the worst Bookman in Bookman history!" _I cried as his hands moved from my cheek to my hair. He traced his fingers along the golden strip running down the left side of my face.

"I know," he said to Lidia. "You know, you're hair is so long and pretty. You should wear it like this more often."

"You like it?" she asked, a flirtatious tone snaking its way through her words.

"I do," he said with a small nod.

_"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Lavi! STOP!" _I screamed, feeling sick to my stomach. This just wasn't right. If he really did believe it was me, I couldn't tell. He'd never looked at me like that, touched me like that, or spoke to me like that. Ever. What was wrong with him?

"Good, I just wanted to be pretty for you, just this one night," Lidia whispered. I wanted my body back. Now. I wanted to find her and rip all of her hair out. It wasn't so much that she was hitting on Lavi, or using my body to do it, but that she was hurting both of us in every way she could. She was going to kill him, but she was going to make me suffer before doing it. She was going to make me watch her take advantage of him, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I felt so weak. The tears continued to spill down my face. What happened next only made the situation all the more terrible for me.

My hand rose into the air and landed softly on Lavi's cheek. He nuzzled his face into it and smiled down at "me," and I knew Lidia was smiling back.

"Lavi," I heard my voice whisper. "I think... I think I've... fallen." She rolled her weight across her feet so that she gained a couple inches by standing on her tiptoes, closing the distance between my face and Lavi's. Her lips puckered, putting a meek pressure against his. I watched in terror as his eye closed and his hands wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer to him as he returned her kiss.

_"LAVI NOOO!" _I screamed as loud as I could. I felt like my heart was exploding now. After the words were out, I just continued to scream and scream. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing! His guard was completely down! She was going to slaughter him any second, I just knew it! The townspeople had been right to call her a succubus!

Then, I suddenly heard a small clanking sound. The kiss had broken. Lidia blinked in surprise and now Lavi was just smirking at her, his face a mere inch from hers. When she turned to see what the clanking was, Lavi was holding his tessei to the left side of her head.

"Oh, you haven't fallen yet, akuma," Lavi said, his grin broadening. My lungs tightened as I blinked in relief. I wanted to cheer and throw my arms around hi, but I was still trapped inside of the void.

_"Oh! Thank God! I knew he'd figure it out! I just knew it!" _I began to celebrate.

"Both of you, exorcists, shut your mouths!" The akuma spoke. It still had my body, but now its own voice was coming from my lips. My eyes shifted from their usual tawny color to completely black. Arms extending outward, the akuma shoved Lavi back and jumped out of his reach. "Lay a finger on me and you'll be harming your dear friend, exorcist!" Lidia hissed at Lavi. The boy's brow furrowed as he tried to think of what to do. All he could do was keep the akuma talking for now, and defend himself from its attacks. I even knew that from where I was. He wouldn't be able to kill it while it had be possessed.

"Did you really think I wasn't going to notice the abrupt changes in my best friend's behavior? That's why you attack men, though, isn't it? You think we're all fooled by appearances? You're disgusting!" Lavi growled.

"Surely you can't mean all that!" the akuma laughed, using my lunges to do so. "You didn't seem to mind the affection that much," it continued to chide.

"I had to go along with it. I knew the moment I saw you outside the inn that something wasn't right, but I didn't want to cause a big commotion in the town. I was trying to get you far enough out that you wouldn't be able to harm any of the townspeople," he explained. I breathed quietly from where I watched the scene. Lavi really was a genius sometimes, I had to give him that. I rarely ever saw that side of him though. The side I was mostly exposed to was the one that yelled and antagonized his friends. It made me think of that very first night when he was battling the akuma made of my family, then again when he dove in the way to defeat Amaury to save my life. Lavi was my hero. He was my best friend. He was my strength.

"Smart human," Lidia mocked. "But, let's see how much you really care about your fellow humans when your life's on the line." The akuma lunged forward, growing massive claws from my fingertips, cackling as it flew through the air. Lavi quickly summoned his Innocence and jumped back. I couldn't do anything but cover my mouth and watch as my eyes quivered in their sockets.

* * *

•** Author's Note**

Oooh boy! We're getting into some action now! I'm very pleased with how this scene came out. I felt very bad the entire time I was writing it, though. I do love Emi, so forcing her to watch all that pained me! We'll have to see about how it ends, though. It could really go either way for her at this point! Please review and let me know what you think! [heart]

Also, I know the beginning of this chapter was a little slow with the way I reached back and basically recapped Emi's introduction, but I felt it necessary to revisit who she was when I started writing this fic and compare it to how she grew as a character. Maybe it's just the artist in me, but I'm glad you guys made it through to enjoy the story progression!

Emm

[August 05, 2011]

PS: I drew a character sheet for Emi in her exorcist uniform. It's not very good and my scanner is broken... But it gets the point across, I think. Just delete the *****'s from this link: **http:*/*/*tinyurl.*com/*3dmzyo4 **- I'll be working on her "casual wear" and her second uniform soon, too.

I also knew I said I was going to post this on Monday evening, but I'm too anxious just sitting on it, so I'm posting it a little early.  
And if you didn't see, I wrote a ReeverxEmi one-shot called "My List." Enjoy!

[August 07, 2011]

•** Translations**:  
Tu ragazzo stupido! - You stupid boy! (Italian)

•** Word Count**:  
Ch 15 - 3551  
**Total** -** 54,461**


	16. The Servant Heart

"_Gouka Kaijin, HIBAN!_" Lavi bellowed, his tessei growing large as he sent it smashing down through his fire seal and into the ground. As soon as the large flaming snake sprung into existence, my heart began to race once more. _Oh no, he's going to burn my body to a crisp! _I began to panic. The snake lurched towards my body which Lidia was still excelling forward when suddenly, she skid to s stop. The snakes arched and careened around us before slithering its way into the sky. Lidia moved my head back so that she could watch the seal vanish into the clouds before she cackled once more.

"Lousy aim you have, exorcist," she said in her echoed akuma voice. "I was almost hoping you'd hit me. You know, any damage you do to me will only affect your comrade's body. What a pickle you're in, eh?" she began to mock him.

"Damn, I missed!" he cursed. I would have scolded him for doing so, but now just wasn't the time! How WAS he going to manage fighting Lidia without hurting me? I couldn't think of any way out of the situation.

"I know, I'll give you a moment to plan your next move. Instead, I want to play a little game. As you can see, one special power of mine is the ability to enter and control the forms of others. Did you know that while I inhabit these bodies, I can read the thoughts and feelings of the human? Not just the present ones, either. I can read their past. I can even look into corners of their mind that they, themselves, can't even access. I can see dreams they've had that they've long forgotten, and I know all their deepest secrets. Would you like to know one of Emi's secrets?" she grinned.

If I could have seen my own face, I know I would have paled considerably. What secrets could Lidia possibly be referring to? It was obvious that she knew full and well that Lavi was someone very dear to me, but not even I knew the extent to that, so I didn't know what she could mean.

"Shut up! Stay away from Emi's secrets! They are hers and hers alone!" Lavi warned. Lidia only laughed as if amused by his growling.

"My, my, my. _Usagi_, so cute when you're angry," she patronized, blowing him a kiss as she did so. His glare intensified, but I could tell he was thinking up something. Surely, of all people, Lavi would be able to get us out of this situation. "Did you know, Emi can't swim?" she began. "She also has a fear of poison, be it from a spider, snake, plant, or anything else. She's also terrified of germs. Do you know why all this is?"

"Shut up!" Lavi yelled again.

"It's because there is little she can do about those things. She can fight akuma, but she can't fight poisons or illness. It's something that she can't _control_, and she is terrified of not being in _control_. I bet you didn't know that about your 'best friend' did you? She's a terrible control freak," Lidia smirked.

"_Shut up!_" Lavi repeated as he clenched his fists.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Is that all you can say?" Lidia sang. "How boring. You're like a skipping record. Then again, Emi is, too. Her need to control everything is why she never left home. It's why she never made friends. In a small world where her father was gone and her mother was ill, she was the boss, alone and isolated. She made all the calls, all the decisions. I bet, once she gets an order she doesn't feel like following, she'll flee from your kind."

"Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to keep running your mouth?" Lavi asked, lowering his gaze on her.

"Emi has lots of interesting dreams, you know?" she continued, ignoring Lavi all together. "But she often forces herself to forget them. She doesn't like dreaming because it's like a part of her she can't direct. She had a very interesting dream about you not too long ago," she sneered once more.

If I could have physically been sick that very moment from nervousness, I would have been. Of course, Lidia was right about one thing: I couldn't really remember my dreams. I was terrified of things I couldn't control, but not because I was a control freak or anything like that. I truly just wanted a peaceful existence. If I was bit by a snake or contracted some sort of terminal illness, how could I defend myself from it so that I could HAVE that peaceful existence? What was she going to reveal to Lavi that not even I could remember? The anxiety of the entire situation was making me ill, not to mention the fact that she wanted to kill us both, and seemed quite capable of doing so at this point.

It seemed that Lavi had had enough of Lidia invading my privacy, though. Before she could continue, his tessei swung through the air with great force. Lidia smiled and leapt up and out of the way, flipping in the air before landing on her feet just a little further away.

"You leave Emi's fears out of this. You obviously have plenty of fears of your own," Lavi said, pointing at her with a gloved finger. Somewhere in the void I was in, a distant thunder began to grumble. I blinked, confused as I looked around.

_"I... Did Lavi strike a nerve, Lidia?" _I asked.

_"Shut your face you ugly little rat!" _she chided back at me.

"You've been feeding off the souls of the men in this town, pretending to be the women who they love. That makes me believe you're just insecure. You want the Earl to love and respect you, but you're just an akuma, and he will never have a special place for you in his heart. You're just a weapon to him," Lavi began to spout the truth. The thunder around me grew louder and more violent.

_"You don't like it when you're laundry is aired, do you?" _I asked.

_"SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU NOW!" _she screeched at me. I furrowed my brow. Whatever it was Lavi was doing, I hope it worked, and soon.

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a young orphan girl who was very sad and alone in the world. On one particular day, that girl found herself very hungry and with no money to get herself something to eat. Sneaking around a corner, she spotted a fruit stand in the market and decided she'd sneak an apple away. After all, who would miss one apple? The owner of the stand was a stingy old man, and when he discovered the young girl reaching for one of his precious apples, he snatched her up by the wrist, raising his walking stick high into the air with his other hand and the intent to beat her for thievery. But, before the old man could unleash his wrath upon the girl, a strong sturdy hand intercepted his wrist. The hand belonged to a youthful nobleman that lived in a large estate on the edge of town. "This girl has done nothing wrong. I told her to pick out an apple. See? No harm done," he said, slipping the stand's owner a few coins. The old man scowled, but he took the coins and released the girl. "You've got no home. Please, return to me to mine. I'm sure Mother wouldn't mind taking you in," he said with a smile. It was that moment that the young girl fell in love.

When they returned to the estate, the nobleman's mother decided she would give the girl a home so long as the girl worked to earn her keep. She was handed an apron and became a maid. Still, the nobleman would invite her out on picnics on the estate's massive grounds. The two became very close, but then, one day, the boy came to the girl with troubling news. His mother was aging and it was time for him to take a wife and take over his family's worth. The wife was a daughter of one of his parent's friends. The girl found herself with a broken heart as she witnessed the boy's wedding, but still, she worked, night and day, to keep the estate in tip top condition in the hopes of gaining the Master's attention and blessings from time to time. However, as time went on, the Master began to pay less and less attention to her. As time went on, the Master became a father and found himself very happy and consumed with his new family, leaving the girl forgotten in the shadows.

Then, one day, a sickness spread through the town. It took many lives, including the life of the Master's wife. While he was grieving, the Master also contracted the illness and soon found his life slowly washing away from him. For his children's safety, they were sent away from the town, leaving the Master in the care of the former orphan that had fallen in love with him. "How is it that we've drifted apart after all these years?" he began to ask, remorse in his voice as he reminisced about their lives together. "I'm so happy that you've stayed by my side, Lidia, after everything we've been through." The girl smiled back with tears in her eyes. Of course she stayed with him. She loved him so. In his last moments, the Master saw the love shining in her eyes. "I- ... I'm so sorry," he uttered, and finally, the illness claimed his life.

As the girl cried out for the life of her beloved Master, that's when he appeared to her: The Millennium Earl. "Hi, konbonwa! I can bring him back to you and you can be together for always," he cooed to her. "All you have to do is called his name." The girl thought about it for a moment, pondering if she could trust this strange man or not. It didn't matter, though. If she could be with the man she loved for eternity, it was word it. Taking in a breath, she screamed his name into the night. The skeleton with his name on it suddenly sprung to life with a cry of agony. "Why, Lidia! Why have you turned me into an akuma!" it demanded. The girl's eyes trembled in place as she wondered what he could possibly mean. The Earl just chuckled to himself. "Now, kill her and wear her skin. Know what it's like to become a servant!" The skeleton tried to resist, but it lunged forward. With a curdling scream, the girl's life was taken, and a new akuma was born.

* * *

Lidia screamed loudly and threw my head back, her thick claws that extended from my fingertips growing even longer as the rage built up inside of her. Apparently she didn't like remembering how she'd come to be an akuma or how weak she was inside, like she was pointing out I was. Her bitterness is what fueled her anger, and now she wanted to taste Lavi's blood even worse than before. It was then that I noticed that my body's feet weren't on the ground anymore. My body was floating, my wavy mess of hair looking like Medusa's head of snakes as the anti-gravity aura of the akuma closed around me.

"You will RUE the day you were ever conceived, you worthless human!" she screamed before her body zipped like a dart through the air in Lavi's direction. I could see the panic in his eyes as he did the best to hold his ground. Lidia rose her claws into the air, preparing to strike.

_"NOO!" _I screamed once more as I saw Lavi close his eye to brace himself. Then, everything stopped.

"It's about time, Gramps! I was starting to worry you weren't going to show! I was wondering if you saw the flames or not," came Lavi's relieved voice as he pointed towards the sky. So, that attack he'd sent out missed us on purpose! I swear I would have hugged him then if I could have!

"Stupid brat! Can't you do anything on your own?" the old man complained.

"W-what have you done to me!" Lidia's voice demanded.

"Paralyzed you," Bookman replied. My body's feet were once again planted on the ground and my body was frozen like a statue. Bookman proceeded to tap various points on my body.

"What are you- stop that-! Get away from me, you disgusting exorcist!" Lidia wailed.

"I figure if I block the energy outlets around Miss Lazzarani's body, you won't be able to hold your control over her any more," Bookman said with a smirk. My heart pounded. Would that really work?

"Good thinking, Panda!" Lavi cheered. I could see the annoyance flash over Bookman's face, but he was wise enough to know that now wasn't the time for bickering.

"Get ready, Lavi. With this last point, the akuma will be released from Emi's body," Bookman warned.

"Got it!" Lavi said, taking a stance as he began to summon his fire seal once more. Bookman swiftly moved his hand and then the void around me began to move forward like it was being sucked through a vacuum. From Lavi and Bookman's point of view, the akuma's form began to rise like a ghost out of my back. From where I was, though, it was like I was falling through the air once more, my body frozen like a landing pad. Lidia's wailing grew louder and louder, and suddenly, I was seeing through my own eyes once more. The initial sensation of the transfer caused my head to spin and I stumbled forward for Bookman to catch me. Above us, the akuma's body hovered high in the air glowing violet.

Lidia's akuma form was very much like a succubus. Womanly in every way, it was gray with long thick hair and ram horns on the sides of her head. There was a visor-like shield over her eyes, her clawed fingers long and sharp. Her feet were hoofed and she had large bat wings extending from her shoulder blades, but not two; she had four. That was all I could see of her appearance before I heard Lavi cry, "_HIBAN!_" and once more, the large flaming snake shot through the air, but this time, engulfing the akuma.

Bookman helped me to my feet, but I still felt a little lightheaded.

"Are you alright, Miss Lazzarani?" he asked. I shook my head and my eyes rolled around a bit as I tried to focus in on the world around me.

"I- y-yeah, I'm alright," I said, but I was still seeing doubles of everything.

"Eh?" exclaimed Lavi. I looked around to see what he could have been so shocked about, and there, in the air, was Lidia curled up in a ball. Her deep velvety chuckle began to sound in the air as she straightened herself out. "W-why are you laughing!" Lavi demanded angrily.

"I have a second ability," she jeered. "You see, any attack I'm hit with, I harness. Let's see how YOU like the heat!" she continued with a maniacal laugh. I couldn't believe my eyes. Around her, the large fire seal appeared and another fiery serpent manifested and lurched towards Lavi.

"LAVI!" I screamed, wrenching my arm free from Bookman.

"Miss Lazzarani, wait! Your body is still weak from my blocking the ener-" Bookman began, but I wasn't listening.

"Innocence, activate!" I snarled, my hands bursting out with a green light. I jabbed a fist forward and went flying through the air, surpassing the flaming attack as I closed in on Lavi. I collided with him in mid-air before sending another punch to the left. We zipped out of the way just in time to dodge Lidia's attack, but I wasn't paying attention now and the two of us went crashing into a tree. Somehow, Lavi maneuvered himself so that he took the force of the impact himself, his back cracking through the massive tree trunk before we broke loose of each other and were sent rolling across the forest floor.

"O-ooow," I heard Lavi groan from somewhere to my right. My eyes fluttered open and I looked around. I could feet dirt and debris all over my face and in my hair. When I tried to lift myself, though, my body seared with pain and I cried out.

"Ahh!" I yelped, my arms giving in as I fell back down on my face.

"Emi!" Lavi rushed over to me and knelt down, turning me over to wipe some of the dirt from my face. "Are you okay?" he asked with urgency.

"M-my body hurts!" I panicked. "I-I can't move!"

"Oh, exorcists! Where have you gone?" Lidia's voice called out in a singsong tone again. "Playtime is over! It's time for you to die!"

"Shit!" Lavi whispered, tucking his arms under me so that he could lift me. Using his tessei, he began to rush us through the trees on its handle to try to get back to Bookman.

"There you are!" The akuma suddenly appeared next to us, flying just as quickly through the trees as we were. Raising her claw into the air, she made to swipe at us. Lavi tried to dodge it, but the tip of her claws caught his scarf which snatched us off of our ride and crashing towards the forest floor once more. I cried out again in pain when I hit the ground. My eyes squeeze tightly shut as I writhed. I didn't know where Lavi was, but I heard the akuma's feet land near me, stepping closer and closer to me with calculated precision. Then a rough hand gathered my hair and pulled my head back. I rose my arms and tried to struggle, but the pain was just too much.

"You've caused me far too much trouble, human. I think it's time to end your life. Then I'll find Lavi, and gut him before I use his bones to impale that retched old man," Lidia whispered into my ear.

"I don't think so!" came Lavi's voice. My hair was suddenly released and I once again landed hard on my chest as Lavi's tessei swung over me and Lidia dove out of its way.

"So persistent!" cursed the akuma.

"You have _no _idea!" came Bookman's voice. The old man summoned his Innocence. "Lavi, use the Heaven Seal!" he demanded. "Heavenly Compass! Compass of Spells: North Crime!" he shouted. Dozens of razor sharp needles buzzed through the trees. Lidia let out another roar as the needles encased her form.

"W-what are you doing? I'll just absorb the attack and use it against you!" the akuma threatened.

"Not a chance!" Lavi smirked. "Raitei Kaiten! _Tenban!_"From the sky, lightning sparked and shot downward. A loud thunder sounded as they hit Lidia's form, using Bookman's needles as metal conductors to absorb their charge. The akuma shrieked and moaned in pain before a bright light lit up the woods around us, the scream fading into nothingness as a sparkling light drifted into the sky. Just like that, the akuma known as Lidia had been destroyed.

I was still writhing in pain there on the ground when Bookman and Lavi rushed over to me for the final time. I gasped for air, my body pulsating as I tried to sit up but failed. Lavi cradled me once more so that I could at least get off my face. My eyebrows knit together in the centered of my forehead as my hand took his cloak into its fist tightly. I just wanted the pain to go away.

"W-why am I... hurting s-so bad?" I asked, looking up at Bookman with pleading eyes.

"Because you didn't listen to what I was trying to tell you," he said gruffly. "Your body didn't have a way to release the excess energy that activating your Innocence creates because I had to block all of the outlets to rid you of the parasitic akuma. You overloaded your nervous system. Let's hope you didn't cause any permanent damage! Lavi, carry her back to the inn. I need to look over her and see what I can do about alleviating her of some of her pain. Once we return, contact Chief Komui. I'm sure that now the akuma is gone, he'll want us to return or head elsewhere. Don't dally! I don't have time for you to waste any longer!"

"Grumpy old Panda," Lavi muttered. This time, though, Bookman didn't hesitate. I didn't even see him move towards us, but he was suddenly behind Lavi, hand raised high in the air before he brought it down crashing over the back of his head. "OW WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR!"

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO RESPECT, YOU BRAT!" And that's how our night went, all the way back to the inn. Talk about a dysfunctional family! At least we'd defeated the akuma, though. That, however, was the least of my problems. After we returned to the inn and Bookman had tended to me, he left me alone in my room. A few moments passed before I heard the door creak open. Looking up, Lavi slowly walked in, his bandana down around his neck and his uniform off, leaving him dressed in his green top.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. I felt my cheeks turn pink as I nodded. That look of concern in his eye got me every time. It should have been illegal for him to look at me with such tenderness when I wasn't in the condition to brace myself for it. "Good, you had me worried for a minute," he said with a nervous laugh. Nervous? Why was he nervous? Then, the image of my lips meeting his returned to mind and I felt my pupils shrink with anxiety.

"L-Lavi, I-"

"Hey, no worries!" he cut me off. I sat up and just looked at him for a long moment as he grinned at me. "Everything that happened tonight... It can stay just between you and me. I know it's not like you were the one throwing yourself at me. You're way better than that," he said, his voice trailing off slightly. Something about his body language led me to believe that he felt a little discouraged, but then he straightened himself out and I felt as if I had perhaps imagined that vibe. Lavi wasn't the type to get discouraged about anything, let alone me.

"I wish... I could have been in control of my body. I couldn't feel anything my body was doing. It was like I was floating in space," I said, looking out of my window and up at the stars.

"Oh yeah? I bet that was frightening," he said with a nod. I snapped my head back in his direction.

"A-and it's not because I'm a control freak!" I exclaimed. He just laughed at me and patted my head.

"I know you're not. Well, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Get some rest, okay?" he said. I nodded and he got up from my bed and headed for the door. Then he paused and turned back to me. "Just one thing- what was that dream about me...?" I felt my face turn bright red, even in the darkness of my room.

"I-I can't remember!" I said. Okay, so that was a lie, and I was obviously a terrible liar. Somehow, Lidia accessing my memories made the dream come back to me, and boy, was it a dream I did NOT want Lavi knowing about! Yet, he just smiled at me.

"Alright, well, goodnight, Bright Eyes," he said, gently closing the door behind him. A heavy relieved sigh erupted from my lungs and I hung my head before throwing myself back into my pillows._ I think he's on to you, Emi_, I thought as I closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hi, guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's been a while since Emi and Lavi really had a cute moment, so I decided to slip one in at the end. I also thought I'd try something new and give the akuma's back story in a style similar to the anime. I really hope I pulled it off!

In the next few chapters, Emi is going to meet Daisya, Allen, Sir Komurin, and Arista Lycoris's OC, Saya. She's also going to get some down time away from missions for a breif period, I think. I know I promised you guys a oneshot for this past Thursday, but I was feeling under the weather all week, so I am very sorry! I did, however, get the concept for Emi's casual clothes sketched up as well as a drawing of her hair down ;O Delete the *'s : **http:*/*/*tinyurl.*com/*42s679l**

If you're interested in keeping up with the art and stuff I produce, look me up on deviantart. My username is JoeyPocket.

College is starting back up soon, so updates might slow down. I'm going to try really hard to keep up with them, but my studies are, right now, my top priority!

Thanks again to all my regular readers! You know who you are and I am very grateful for you! It's the wonderful reviews I get that inspire me to continue writing [heart]

[August 14, 2011]

-Emm

**Word Count**  
Ch 16 - 4041  
**Total - 58,502**

**No translations this chapter! [heart]**


	17. My Train is A Roller Coaster

Despite Bookman's medical attention, the following two days took a serious toll on my body. The first day, I couldn't even move my body at all. It was a wonder I'd even made it back to the inn the night before. I almost began to wonder if Bookman had purposely paralyzed me for good. The day was spent staring at the ceiling and it left me far too much time to ponder on things. I went in circle after circle trying to define my existence as an exorcist and how that effected the relationship I had with Lavi. By now, it was completely obvious to me that I had some sort of feelings for him, even after denying it for so long. If anyone asked, though, I knew I would continue to deny it, but I would be aware that it was a lie. Then the anxiety hit me and I wished I had a better poker face. Then Kanda's lecturing spiraled in my head. We were exorcists and we lived a dangerous life. Should I avert my feelings while they were still in the beginning stages so that they wouldn't evolve? There was always the chance that Lavi or I would die on a mission. Would I be able to stand for something like that? Then I realized I was getting ahead of myself. While I wanted to believe Lavi when he said that I was special to him, his private words with Bookman about how he didn't really care for anyone in the Order echoed in my mind, and this was all just before lunch! By the evening, I could finally toss and turn, which I did constantly for the following twenty-four hours to wake my muscles up and distract my mind. I don't know how many times I snapped at my comrades during those two days, but by the third morning, my mood improved dramatically and all of the men seemed relieved that I was back to myself.

We were on the road again, headed across Germany so that we could go home and take a few days off. You wouldn't believe how amazing the fresh air seemed to me after being bed ridden for so long. Despite all of the confusion I'd placed myself in while laying in my dark hotel room, I was completely ecstatic to be using my legs again.

"Come on, guys! Why are you moving so slow? Just a few more miles to the next town and we can get on the train and head home! Where's all your energy gone?" I called over my shoulder as I marched on down the well-traveled path in the forest. I heard Bookman and Lavi both sigh. Apparently my high energy was exhausting for the two of them. I wasn't surprised by Bookman's reaction, but even my high-energy'd best friend was worn out by my enthusiasm. Then again, it was still pretty early and Lavi was never one to be an early riser on his own.

Or so I had been told by others. Ever since the day we'd met months ago he'd been waking up early (well, most of the time) to spend the mornings with me. Normally, a thought like that would confuse me, but, with my back to my companions, a small giddy smile spread across my face. Lavi really did treat me different than all of the others who were used to being around him. It made me happy. I guess it just made me feel special or important for once in my life. Being trapped by Lidia inside of my own mind seemed to clear up my feelings about Lavi. He was definitely important to me and I was aware that I cared about him more than most. Seeing myself in such a... well, romantic, I suppose, situation with him, even though it wasn't really me, had also planted a seed of yearning inside my heart. No matter how stubborn I was, at that point, I really couldn't deny that I may have had those romantic feelings all along. Not even the resonating nagging of Kanda's voice warning me in the back of my head could ruin my mood today. No, today, I was fine admitting to myself that I might just have a crush on my best friend. I'd be perfectly fine dealing with those consequences at that moment. It was a beautiful day! I was headed home, I could WALK again! Everything was good in the world at that moment, and I would feel that way until I was reminded again that I was, in fact, a soldier involved in a very serious war. That moment would come sooner than I thought.

* * *

It didn't take us much longer to find ourselves seated on a train headed back towards the Order. All of my happy marching that day had taken its toll and I was definitely feeling it. Lavi and I sat next to each other while Bookman sat across from us. I was slumped down far in my seat with my arms hanging loose like ribbons that I had no motor control of. My hair was frazzled and sticking up this way and that as I let out a long dramatic yawn. Bookman raised an eyebrow at me and Lavi chuckled.

"You need to learn to pace yourself, Bright Eyes. We're still working on those stamina issues, ya know?" he teased. I pouted out my bottom lip and scowled at him.

"You try being bed ridden for days and see how excited you are to walk again," I snapped back.

"I believe we have all been there before," Bookman threw in casually. I blinked my amber eyes over at him and sat up a little. That was right, I was the rookie here. I didn't know how long Lavi had been with the Order, actually, and Bookman was surely experienced.

"Well!" I chirped suddenly causing Lavi to jump slightly. "I am exhausted, and probably hunger... And I definitely feel a little greasy, so I'm going to go wash up... Then how about some food?" I asked, turning with a pleading look to Lavi. He blinked his unpatched green eye at me for a moment before he smiled and gave me a big thumbs up.

"You got it!" he grinned. I smiled back before rising and excusing myself to head towards the restroom. It felt nice to splash a little cool water on my face. Out of my travel bag, I pulled out my brush and went toward the task of taming my unruly nest of hair. Pulling out the hair tie, I did my best to smooth it out, but it seemed as if the more I brushed it, the poofier it got. When I got to the point where it seemed as if I'd been electrocuted, I stopped and gave my reflection a rather unamused stare. Then my face brightened up as an idea came to me. I pulled some strands from left side of my head down and began to braid, so that my golden stripe was intertwined in the braid all the way down. I followed my hairline down the side of my face to the base of my neck and then began to braid down, so the braid wrapped around the left side of my head/neck and hung on my right shoulder. Even braided, my hair was long and it hung so that the curly-q tail of it rested near my armpit. It was a new look that I hadn't tried before and I was quite pleased with how it concealed the monster that grew atop my head. I twirled around to see what it looked like from the back, smiling, and wondering what Lavi would say. It was an easy and mature hairstyle at the same time and I felt pleased with myself.

I turned to leave the restroom, and when I did, I guess I didn't think to cautiously open the door because the corridors of the train cars were so narrow. The door slammed right into someone, and that someone let out a disgruntled OUF sound along with a tinkering sound of a bell.

"OI! Watch what you're doin' will ya!?" the voice began to berate me. A look of panic came to my face as I quickly slipped out of the restroom to try and help whoever it was I hit. I wasn't prepared to find another exorcist on the train. He was average height, about the same as me being five and a half feet, and he wore what looked like a jester hood with a bell on the end. From what I could see of him, he was mostly covered from head to toe in bandages and he had violet tear-like pain under his eyes. His face had very sharp features, much like a fox, which only made the attitude he was giving me seem all the more harsh.

"Aaah!" I breathed hesitantly. "Sorry, sorry! I know I should have been more careful, I wasn't thinking, are you alright?" I began to inquire apologetically. He seemed equally as confused when he spotted my Order-edition coat and gloves. His mind seemed to blank out a moment while he took in my appearance before a smug look came to his face. He placed on hand on his hip as he straightened up and waved his other hand at me dismissively.

"Naw, no harm done! Looks like we're on the same team them," he said, nodding toward my clothes. "I'm Daisya; Daisya Barry," he smirked, extending a hand to me. Looking frazzled and confused, I could guess, I reached out and shook his hand.

"E-Emi Lazzarani," I replied.

"Nice to meet you!" he beamed at me. I didn't know if his scowl before or his toothy grin now was more scary. "Say, you're not traveling with General Tiedoll or Kanda are ya?" he asked.

"No...?" I replied in confusion. "Tiedoll and I separated after he declared me an exorcist. I haven't seen Kanda since... _Oh no, cacca santa!_" I cursed. Daiysa blinked at me and gave a deep hollow laugh as he held his stomach.

"Got a bad history with Kanda, eh?"

"N-no! Tiedoll said my fighting skills were up to par with his, so when he made me mad, I challenged him, Kanda, I mean, to a sparring match," I said with an embarrassed pink glow to my face. Daisya's eyes grew with surprise.

"A girl? Able to legitimately beat Kanda's ass? Man, I would PAY to see something like that!" he exclaimed, a dreamy look coming to his face as he looked off into no where. I felt my brow finally furrow at this man. I was so confused as to who he was and why he was asking these things of me. When he finally noticed my expression, he seemed to roll his eyes at himself. "Kanda and I trained together with Tiedoll when we became exorcists, too, that's why I was wondering. Who're you traveling with now, then?" he pondered

"The Bookman duo," I said, a fond yet tiresome look coming to my own face.

"Ah, I see I see. What's that face, though? You're not sweet on the old man, are you!?" He asked, placing his hands on his knees while his evil grin landed on his face again. My face must have paled considerably. Inside my head, an image of Bookman in a satin bathrobe with a rose in his mouth floated across my mind and I felt my stomach churn. Daisya's amused laugh brought me back to reality like a bucket of ice water over the head. I pouted again and scowled at him.

"I-I'm not 'sweet' on anyone!" I replied in a tone that was a little more defensive than I would have liked.

"Riiight," he chided, as if he wasn't convinced by my lie at all. "Well, I guess there's someone out there for everyone!" he declared. I felt my nostrils flare at him. I didn't know how Tiedoll was at all sane after dealing with both Kanda and THIS clown at the same time. I decided not to say anything at the risk of giving him more ammunition to use against me.

"WELL," I said, my brow still knit together in frustration in the middle. "I better get back. I've got food waiting for me," I said, turning to leave.

"Right!" he called to my back. "Tell the Bookmen I said what's up! See you around, Lazzarani!" he called. I shook my head with a small attitude, a gesture which only made him laugh before going his own way. I certainly hope not, I thought to myself.

The rest of the evening was fairly lighthearted as I ate my meal with Lavi and we laughed and joked and everything seemed normal for once. There were no thoughts of akuma or sparring or Innocence... It was nice. We even used a golem to contact headquarters and Lenalee was ecstatic that we would be home soon. I guess we would be arriving in time for Allen Walker's welcoming party. I think the best part of the night was when Lavi plucked a white orchid from the centerpiece of the table in the dining car and tucked it behind my left ear as he complimented my hair. I was on cloud nine and nothing was going to spoil it.

* * *

Shortly after dinner, Lavi didn't waste any time passing out in his seat with drool cascading down the side of his face. Bookman was busy reading, so I decided to go out to get some air and take a look at the stars while we were traveling through the country. They shined so much brighter out there and I figured it would be a good time to take them in and possibly wish on a few of them. As I leaned against the railing, I pulled the orchid from my ear and gently rested one of the petals on the end of my nose so I could take in its scent. A wide genuine smile spread across my face and I let out a more than content sigh.

"So I was right then?" came a rather nerve-jerking voice. I spun around to see Daisya seated on the top of the train car just three feet above me. My smile vanished and I scowled at him. An over-offended look came to his face as if he were taken aback. "Why does everyone make that face when they see me!?" he demanded rhetorically. I just huffed and turned by back to him.

"Ah, what it is to be young and in love," he mocked, only getting at my nerves all the more.

"_Sta 'tranquillo, non si sa nulla,_" I replied in my native tongue.

"It's not fair to insult someone when they can't understand. It's pretty cowardly, actually," he seemed to challenge me. "You're not a soft coward are you, Lazzarani?"

"You don't know anything about me," was a simple reply.

"I know that you're an exorcist; a soldier of God. I know we're caught in this war and either one of us could die any day," he went on, a more serious tone coming to his voice. I blinked, surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor. "Look, I know you're new to this world, but some of us have been here a long time and have some good advice for you. You don't see me traveling with a team, do ya?" he asked.

"N-no," I replied hesitantly. I was beginning to feel as if I knew where this conversation was going. In fact, deja vu (no pun intended) was hitting me like a brick. This was almost just like the conversation I'd had with Kanda when he forced me to start meditating. I frowned. I didn't want to hear what Daisya was about to say, I just didn't.

"Human attachment in this line of business... It's not really something I would encourage. If you haven't told him yet, I wouldn't at all. Loss is probably the biggest fear for all exorcists. Don't let your emotions get the better of you. Remember who you are and what your mission is. That's all I got to say to you, though. Happy hunting, Curly-Q," he said, giving me a small salute before disappearing farther back on the top of the train. I didn't know if he was jumping off or just being odd and riding on the top of the train car... Maybe he was just making a dramatic exit, I have no idea, but his words left a chilly echo around me as the train rattled on in the night.

It really was the same things Kanda had said to me, only a lot "nicer" if that could be possible. I felt my own disappointment melt my face slightly as my eyes fluttered down to the orchid petals struggling in the wind. It was just that morning that I acknowledged my fondness for my best friend. To what degree that fondness was, I wasn't sure. I knew that I LIKED him, and that LIKE was more than a friend, but maybe Daiysa, and Kanda for that matter, were right. Maybe I needed to distance myself a little before I found myself doing something stupid like falling in love. I know it would hurt me if something happened to Lavi... Would allowing myself to be more familiar with him really make it worse or was I past that point already? Friend or object of desire... It would hurt either way. I wondered if he felt the same way.

I looked up at the stars one last time. A chill of fear ran down my spine. After all day of acting so familiar with the redhead who'd held me countless times by now as I cried or was hurt now seemed like it had been something forbidden. I was an exorcist now. That was my identifier, and I had carelessly allowed myself to slip away from that. Not to mention Lavi's position as a Bookman. I'd been foolish to think we could ever be more than friends. My lips pursed together gently as the sad thought spiraled in my mind. Slowly, I raised the orchid into the air. My grip on it loosened and, like a hungry frog, the wind snatched the small flower from my grip. I'd have to let go of my feelings for Lavi in very much the same manner. I watched the flower swirl away until I couldn't see it anymore, my mind empty aside from the thundering of the train hurling down the tracks.

* * *

**Lavi**

Lavi smiled in Emi's wake as she got up and left to go freshen up for dinner. His eye lingered in an almost dreamlike state as he watched her chocolate curls bounce along behind her. It was all he could do not to mutter his trademark "STRIIIKE" as she disappeared. He'd been struggling with that ever since he met her on the beach several months back in Italy, but he was a bit girl-crazy so it hadn't phased him at the time. Girls had always been his weakness, something Bookman knew all too well, which was why he was glaring at his grandson a Lavi turned to face front again.

"What're you staring at you old crusty panda?" he asked bravely, crossing his arms. Bookman didn't hesitate to sent a fist crashing into the younger exorcists skull.

"You ignorant brat! Haven't you listened to me at all? You're getting far too involved with this girl. While I understand your affinity with her, you're getting in too deep. You know what your job is," he reminded.

"Yeah yeah... You never let me forget," Lavi huffed, scowling out of the window. In his head, no matter how much he didn't like it, he knew part of what Bookman was saying was the truth. Still, he arrogantly dismissed his grandfather's concerns. "I know what I'm doing. I'm just having fun while I do it. I don't want my life to be at all like Kanda's," he said with a shrug. Bookman didn't look convinced though.

"I've seen you fawn over women before, Lavi. You know as well as I do that this one is different," he responded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lavi denied. "Besides, if you haven't noticed yet, Emi has a pretty clear head on her shoulders. She's an amazing exorcist and she has more determination than most. You really think she'd risk all of that for a dummy like me?" he went on.

"Lavi, you and I both know you're not a complete idiot. I wouldn't have chosen you as my apprentice if I'd believed otherwise."

"Yeah, but most of the people at the Order believe I'm a lot more dense than I really am."

"It's the person you portray, Junior."

"Gramps, we lead a really serious life, and most of us are still kids," Lavi began to reason. "Everyone is so serious. Someone has ease the tension. We all know we live each day with our lives on the line. Some of that seriousness needs to be alleviated. I'm not going to deny that these people have all grown on me, but I just want to make all of our lives a little better while we still have the chance.." Bookman seemed to consider the teens words for just a moment. Crossing his own arms into the long deep sleeves he wore, he closed his eyes and just nodded knowingly. "Good, I'm glad you can finally see eye to eye with me," Lavi beamed.

"Just be careful, especially with this girl," Bookman cautioned.

"Like I told you before... Even though she would have eventually been discovered as an accommodator, I was the one who personally pulled Emi into this life. I feel responsible for her. Never mind the fact that she is highly attractive, smart, funny, and pretty much ideal in my book, that's all this is. She is my responsibility and I'm going to keep looking out for her until this war is over. If anything happened to her here, I would be responsible. I can't let that happen," he went on. Bookman let out a small sigh, but he just nodded again. Before the conversation could continue, Emi was back, and what she'd done with her hair made Lavi correct his posture as he gazed up at her. An impatient sigh escaped Bookman, but Lavi didn't noticed. Instead, he quickly rose, offering Emi an elbow as they walked off towards the dining car.

Everything he'd said had been the truth. He did feel responsible for her safety. He did know his place as the heir to the Bookman line. He knew his place as an exorcist as well. He was a professional at fooling everyone at the Order about who he really was and how he really felt. His patience was actually amazing, too, which was something most people didn't know about him. That was just how good he was at keeping who he really was, on the inside, a secret from the world. If people who how serious he was and that the aloof person they all knew was a fabrication of himself, his reality would be so much different. There was one thing, though, that he couldn't shake, and that was how his breath seemed to always fall short when Emi smiled at him.

Experiencing that night where the two of them acted like normal teenagers for once... Well, it was no help when it came to his own feelings for her. He was sure that her own politeness was what kept her from strangling him sometimes, and he was also sure that Emi was levelheaded enough not to like a goofy guy like him. No, she'd probably go for someone like Reever. From what he could recall back at the Order, she DID spend an awful lot of her free time around the science department, with the Australian guy especially. That thought irritated him, but he shook it. Wait, jealousy? Maybe Bookman was right and he was getting in too deep. It was the end of a great evening and now his own thoughts were plaguing him once again. Before he could ruin the mood, he'd excused himself and went to sleep. She's you're responsibility, Lavi, he thought to himself as he tried to drift off into sleep. Nothing more...

* * *

•** Author's Note**

HEY! I know it's been about 16 months since my last update and I am SOOOO sorry! Life kinda hit me pretty hard and I've been trying to get back on my feet for a while. Let me tell you, transitioning into a responsible adult is TOUGH WORK! It's so exhausting D: Anyway, not that I'm planning a pity party or anything... HERE YOU GO! Chapter 17. Emi meets Daiysa. I know it might have seemed brief and somewhat pointless, but I'd been planning this conversation for a long time and never really got around to it. Also, I do apologize for being rusty. It has been a good long minute since I've written anything. I will be surprised if any of my old followers are still reading this, and if you are, I LOVE YOU DEARLY! Reviews are always loved and appreciated, but no nitpicking as far as typos and all that goes. I'm more a content person vs. technicalities... Anyway, hopefully the next update will be sooner than later ^^ Sorry, again!

Emm

[December 18, 2012]

•** Translations**:  
Oh no, cacca santa! - Oh no, holy poop! (Italian)  
Sta 'tranquillo, non si sa nulla. - Be quiet, you know nothing (Italian)

•** Word Count**:  
Ch 15 - 4079  
**Total** - **62,581**

•****** Review Responses**:  
None at this time! Just a shout out to my dear friend **Arista Lycoris** for being a constant inspiration. I love you the most C: You should check out her KandaXOc fic Blade Chord 3


	18. Some Scientific Advice

You might say I was a little put off to find out I was actually returning to HQ all on my own. Both Bookmen seemed just as disappointed as I was about having to miss Allen's welcoming party, but they were dispatched to go meet up with some finders in northern Spain and would be gone for another couple of days. My orders were to return to the Order and continue some of my training with Kanda, which I was obviously less than pleased about. As I stood in my room slipping my Innocence-fused fingerless gloves back onto my hands, Lavi's voice resonated in my head.

_"Hey, don't look so glum, Bright Eyes! It's only for a couple of days. Just remember to feed yourself while I'm gone okay? You can be so helpless sometimes and I definitely don't want you starving before I get back!"_ he's teased. While I knew he was just joking for the most part, it had still stung a little bit. The word 'helpless' continued to echo in my head like dripping water. I heaved a heavy sigh. As much as I loved spending time with Kanda, I knew it was for the best. After all, it was thanks to him that I'd even gotten control of my Innocence to begin with.

When I was ready to go, I still had a little over half an hour or so before I hand to go meet with Kanda, so I decided to swing by the science department and see how everyone else was doing. Lenalee was gone with Allen to investigate some isolated down that no one would get in or out of, and I knew the guys could probably use some cheering up. Word was they were hardly getting any time off lately and were swamped with work. I decided to take over Lenalee's task of bringing them coffee while she was gone, and so, with a tray of mugs, I made my decent into the science division.

Like always, the guys were spread out all over, going through mounds of papers and books while they researched various topics and ran experiments. Komui was no where to be found, which wasn't so bad because every time he was actually around, it seemed like things were more hectic. As soon as I appeared in the doorway, I was met with happy sighs and appreciative smiles.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted them. "I figured you could use was fresh warm coffee since Lenalee is gone," I smiled.

"Oh, you're such a good person!" Tapp exclaimed as he took his cup.

"Definitely an angel! Thank you so much, Emi! How's the uniform working out for you?" Johnny asked as he took his as well.

"Great! It's really comfortable and it's held up really well! No tears or anything! Thank you so much, Johnny, I really love it!" I beamed. From what I could see of his face under those enormous glasses, he was blushing furiously and laughing, waving off my praise, but I could tell he was proud nonetheless and it made me smile, too. That was when I heard heavy calculated steps come up next to me. Turning, I looked up at Reever who's stepped up next to me to observe the chaos that was his world. He had big bags under his eyes, which really concerned me. In the few months that I'd been with the Order, whenever I was home, Reever was one of the people I'd grown closest to. Something about him reminded me of Ren and I couldn't help but think of him as an older brother. I wondered if he had a family somewhere, maybe a little sister... I think I just related to him because, compared to everyone else around us, we both seemed to be somewhat "normal." It was like we were some of the few individuals working for the Order that had a level head on their shoulders. Everyone else was like... well, Komui and Lavi. It was nice to be around someone else who came off as sane from time to time, I guess.

"Thanks, Emi, it really means a lot," he said to be wearily as he took his own mug from the tray.

"Oh, it's really my pleasure. I like to be helpful whenever I can. I think I've gotten so used to the exorcist lifestyle that whenever I have downtime like this, I have to stay busy or else I don't know what to do with myself," I laughed a little.

"I completely know where you're coming from," Reever grinned. "If I'm not in this lab, I definitely feel like I don't even know myself. So what's on your agenda for today? Anything we can help you with?"

I felt my shoulders wilt a little as the thought of training with Kanda came back to mind. I definitely hadn't forgotten the fact that I'd challenged him to a sparring match and, thanks to Tiedoll, everyone was going to make sure it happened. Part of me felt like people were taking bets and another part of me believed people really wanted to see if Kanda would lose.

"Eeh, not unless you have something that can make training with Kanda any less of a pain than what I know it's going to be," I joked. I knew the samurai exorcist was not going to go easy on me by any means. Whatever understanding we'd had before back when he'd left me with Tiedoll had completely disappeared. Part of me wondered if he was just obnoxious like Lavi and liked giving people a hard time. If he really was like that, I felt like he wasn't really smart enough to be witty about it, and that's why he was mean instead. It was like he was a monster that acted on instincts and wouldn't break outside of his own framework.

"Ah, wish I could help you with that, but I don't think anything we came up with here could make dealing with Kanda easier... ever," Reever went on. I gave a lighthearted semi-theatrical sigh and tilted my head.

"I figured. It was worth a shot though. I just need to keep reminding myself that it's Kanda and not to take it too personally," I mused aloud.

"Unfortunately, I think that's the best advise I can give you, too. At least it's Kanda and not Komui, though. Kanda makes life hard, but usually it's for the better. The Chief has the same intentions, but..." he trained off and just sighed again, which made him look all the more tired. I felt bad for him, having to work such long hard hours all the time and deal with Komui's insanity. I wanted to do something nice for him, but I just didn't know what to do.

"Well, hey, if you ever need help with anything and I'm around, don't be afraid to ask!" I offered. "You can count on me, okay?"

"Alright," Reever laughed. A small weight seemed to visibly lift off of his shoulders as he smiled at me and it really did make me feel better. I decided that I liked seeing people smile, especially when I was the one causing it. It just made me feel helpful and accomplished at the same time.

"Same for you, Miss Lazzarani. It's our job here to make your lives a little easier, after all. Especially me... If there's anything you need, I'm your guy!" he grinned. I felt my amber eyes search his face for a moment. For some reason, that statement had made me think of Lavi. People kept telling me o let go of any feelings I might have... Maybe I needed advise from someone who'd been around longer. Reever was a lot older and more experienced in life than I was... And he was always so wonderful at analyzing things and coming to the best conclusion. For a moment, I thought about asking him what I should do, and I guess that reflected on my face because I straightened up when I heard the inquisitive "huh?" sound come from him. "What is it?" he asked. Why were the men in my life only observant when I didn't want them to be?

"Eh! Oh, it's nothing! Don't worry about it!" I began, but he gave me a stern look.

"Emi, if you have something on your mind you need to talk about, you better just spit it out. Walking around here with a burden on your shoulders isn't going to make anything easier on yourself," he cautioned me. I tossed my head back and groaned.

"I just... Do you think I could pull you away for a moment so we can talk?" I asked, looking around to realize my dear sweet nosy friends, Johnny, Tapp, and 65, were trying to eavesdrop.

"Sure," he said, taking the tray for me and setting it on a nearby table. "I'm taking a break guys, keep up the work!" he declared to everyone else. They grumble in protest, but the Australian guided me out into the hall nonetheless. "No, what is it?" he asked.

"Well... I don't know where to begin," I said, feeling my brow cave in as I reflected on my entire situation. "Before I came to the Order, I pretty much lived my life in complete isolation. I didn't have friends or anything like that. I didn't trust people and I wasn't close to anyone... Then I come here and I meet people like you, Lenalee, Jerry, and... Lavi," I reflected a little, a small frown coming to my face.

"Ah," Reever responded as if he knew where I was going. "Right, so you're having trouble reasoning with yourself then?" I looked up at him with a worried look on my face as we walked along the hall and nodded.

"Other exorcists, like Kanda, and I met Daisya on the way back the other day... They keep telling me not to let myself get attached to people because any of us could die fighting this war. They said developing relationships with other people just makes it harder in the end," I explained. Reever just nodded as if he completely understood everything.

"Right, because that's how they cope with things. I'm not going to pretend like I know their stories and their reasoning, but I'm willing to bet they've both experienced loss in the past. I really don't understand why they feel that way when they both were trained by Tiedoll, though. He calls them his sons and truly loves them as family, as much as they both hate it. I know Lenalee has problems dealing with loss, too, and she loves every single person here like they were part of her own family. Her friends and family are the world to her, but that's what keeps were going. Her way of coping with this war is completely different than Kanda's. It's really about knowing yourself and what's important to you. This... This is about a little more than just making friends though, isn't it?" he asked. I felt myself stiffen and my cheeks turn pink. "Ha, thought so," he smiled. Was I really that transparent? "I figured something like with would happen. You and Lavi have been spending almost every waking moment together the past few months since you got here. I can understand where you'd be confused. It's a tough situation to be in.. It's one of those things that you either have to embrace or let go of. There's no middle ground."

"Exactly!" I peeped before I could stop myself. "I just don't know what to do, and I don't even know if it's something worth stressing about as bad as I am... Lavi... He's not just an exorcist, Reever, he's a Bookman. His job isn't observe the world and not really be part of it. D-do you think he really cares as much as he acts like he does? I think my biggest fear is that... My friendship with him might all be fake-" my voice croaked. I'd been pondering these things for so long now inside my head that putting it into words just hurt. I stopped and quickly clamped my hands over my mouth. I was starting to regret giving in and talking about it.

Reever stopped to, tilting his head as he looked down at me. Seeing the distressed look on my face, he belt down, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey, now, don't do that. Don't let him have a negative impact on you, Emi! You're great! Everyone in the science division adores you and you've got plenty of real friends here willing to do whatever we can for you. Lavi would be an idiot if he didn't see what an amazing person you are. If he really doesn't see your friendship as something real and... and valuable, then he's a total fool and he doesn't deserve your attention at all," he said, trying to reassure me. I sucked in my bottom lip and bit down on it as I nodded, but I couldn't quite shake the pained expression on my face thinking that my friendship with Lavi might not be real. My nostrils flared for a second as a shaky breath snaked out of them. Before I could stop myself, my arms flew up and wrapped around Reever's neck as I pulled the scientist into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for talking about this with me! I didn't have anyone else to go to! And you were so right! It feels so much better to get it off my chest! Reever, you really are a wonderful friend!" I cried out, burying my face in the scruff of his lab coat. He seemed to hesitate for a second, then he returned my hug, giving me a light pat on my shoulder blades.

"That's what friends are for, Emi," he said softly. After another second, he pulled away from my embrace and put a hand on top of my head. "Now cheer up! If Kanda sees you upset, he's only going to egg you on," he grinned once more. A small squeak of a laugh escaped me and I nodded. "I better get back before everyone else gets lost without me there to answer questions. Just try to keep your head up, Emi. Things will work themselves out the way they're meant to be," he said, waving goodbye. I nodded, too, and said my thanks again before departing to go find Kanda.

I found Kanda in one of the training rooms that resembled a dojo. He was clad in his normal exorcist pants and boots, but his coat and cloak were removed, leaving him a a navy blue a-frame tank top that I was suspicious was a muscle shirt. He was already seated with his legs crossed as he meditated, which made me nervous because I felt like he was going to accuse me of being late, even though I was right on time. Without saying anything, I walked across the room and sank down next to him, sitting with my legs crossed in front of me, just as he was sitting.

"You're late," he muttered to me.

"Maybe you should open your eyes and take a peek at the clock again," I retorted.

"Che," he smacked at me, but I watched as he opened one eye and checked the time, a disgruntled frown on his face when he realized I was right. I couldn't help but smirk a little. "I highly doubt you've been keeping up with your meditation and schedule," he changed the subject.

"You try fitting in meditation and bedtime when akuma are high-jacking your body and parading around with it," I came back with calmly, putting on the farce that I was already in a peaceful state of mind for meditation.

"My body would not have been taken over by an akuma," he snapped, once again on his high horse.

"Right, I forgot: King Bakanda makes no mistakes," I smiled to myself.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked accusingly, opening his eyes to give me his trademark scowl.

"Oh, nothing," I lied. "I met someone named Daisya on the train on the way back. Familiar?" I asked, peeking at him with one eye. He flinched slightly, looking a little taken aback.

"What did that idiot tell you?" Kanda barked defensively.

"Oh... Lots of interesting things, Kanda. But, we really don't have time for that. You were concerned with me being late, so we better get on with this training. I have other things to do today, too, you know?" I said optimistically. I felt better with Kanda annoyed, believing I had something on him when I really didn't. It seemed to even the playing field.

"Fine, but don't think I forgot for a moment about our little match. I'm going to enjoy putting you in your place in front of everyone," he smiled evilly. I think I might have gulped a little hard, but I wasn't going to allowed him to throw me off my game. I was the ever-stubborn Italian, after all.

"Oh, I haven't... I don't think I'm going to be the embarrassed one when that is all said and done, though. Maybe some extra training would benefit you just as much as it would me, Kanda," I razzed back. Another 'che" escaped him, but when I looked at him, it looked like a small smirk was on his face. Was it just me, or did Kanda seem like he really wasn't all that mad at me anymore? He was such a strange guy. I reflected back to my original farewell with the long-haired exorcist. He'd come to be to address his concern that I look out for myself and for Lavi before he left. Then he tells me not to care about other people. He was tough and stoic most of the time, but I was starting to believe that he was all a big act. He had to look tough, but I think he really did care about us, too. Reever was right... The act was just a defense mechanism. Maybe that's why Lavi messed with him so much, using his first name and braiding his hair... I thought it was out of boredom or maybe Lavi had a death wish, but I think he did it because seeing Kanda get all worked was just his way of teasing. Kanda really was our friend, whether he wanted to admit it or not. I'm pretty sure he liked me at least a little bit. I think he valued my stubborn behavior and competitive nature because he was just like that, too. I wonder if he saw me as a potentially worthy ally and that's why he was willing to help me train so much. Then again, maybe he was just following orders and helping me as his assignment. Who really knew with him anyway? These exorcist boys were so confusing. I only hoped this Allen Walker was less confusing. From what I heard, he was a little bit younger than most of us. I was still seventeen and Lavi and Kanda were a year or so older than me.

All of these thoughts swam in my head for a moment before I broke the silence, much to Kanda's irritation. "Hey, Kanda?"

"What is it now?" he grumbled.

"Thanks," was all I said. I knew he wouldn't want any long mushy thank you's or explanations, but his willingness to help me get my stamina issues under control had already saved my life on multiple occasions now. Like it or not, I knew I owed the grump my life. A rough "Mm," was all I got in response. I knew he wasn't good with emotions. I knew that the first time I'd hugged him before he left. Even though he got under my skin and made me so mad from time to time, Kanda was my friend. I wasn't going to let him off the hook in thinking that he wasn't.

"RRRRRRRRUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGH ~"

"What the hell was THAT?" Kanda asked, a fearful look on his face. I opened my eyes and let a quiet "eeeeh" escape my mouth. I felt weak and dizzy all the sudden. My head hurt and I felt the acid rise in my stomach.

"I think I forgot to eat breakfast this morning!' I squeaked.

"What!? This is exactly what I was talking about!" Kanda barked. I hung my head in defeat and clapped my hands across my empty stomach.

"I know, I know! I'm just so hungry! Can we _pleeeeease_ go eat? I'm willing to eat a whole mountain of soba with you! Stomach... so... empty~!" I began to whine and complain.

"Fine, fine! Just stop your WHINING!" Kanda roared. With tears of joy in my eyes, we rose to our feet. Kanda snatched up his coat and shrugged it on. He glared at me all the way to the dining hall and the entire time we ate, but I think he was probably thanking me for not passing out on him before getting there. He didn't seem in the mood to carry me across the Order the way Lavi would. He'd be barking at me the rest of the afternoon and lecturing me, but I was perfectly happy with a full stomach. Still, after we got back and continued on with the meditating, I had to wonder where Lavi was. What was he doing? Was he safe? Was he thinking about me at all? That night as I crawled into my bed, my large eyes blinked out of the small window in the room up at the moon. It was bright and full, shining down on me. It was weird having a full day without Lavi around, and I felt restless. I thought I was going to have a hard time falling asleep, but after training half of the day at Kanda's mercy, my eyes fluttered closed and I drifted off into restless dreams instead.

* * *

**Somewhere in Spain**

The moon was high in the sky as the red-haired exorcist sat on his window seal. He had one knee propped up while the other leg dangled five stories above the ground. The bandana he normally wore around his head was hanging down around his neck as he looked up at the sky. He'd be headed back towards HQ tomorrow and it would be a two day trip. He'd said bye to Emi two days prior. While he knew that they wouldn't always be assigned to the same missions or investigations, especially since he was a Bookman and had other priorities outside of the Order as well, it still bothered him to be away from her for nearly five days. He'd explained to Bookman that Emi was his responsibility, and he knew that she was at home safe at the Order, but he still felt as if he should be there with her.

Who was helping her decide what to eat and making sure she got back to bed safely if she'd exhausted herself. Surely not Kanda, who was in charge of Emi's training right now. Kanda would leave Emi to sleep on the floor or worse, starve to death! Ugh, that meant that it was probably Reever tending to Emi's needs, the needs that Lavi normally took care of. While Lavi knew Reever wasn't a bad guy, a darkness spread across his face thinking of the lab sheep taking care of his best friend. It was a horrible churning form of jealousy that Lavi couldn't shake.

Maybe Bookman had been right and Lavi was far too involved. Why would he be getting so worked up over something so simple as that? Emi had to eat and she just never knew what to get. The poor girl had survived most of her life eating the same gruel every day that she'd prepared herself. A sick shade of green spread across Lavi's face. He adored Emi, but he didn't know if he could ever survive eating that girl's cooking. She had no concept of food because the only reason she ate was because her body required it. They'd yet to even discover what her favorite treat or anything was.

Images of Emi swooning and collapsing while uttering, "I'm not gunna make it," swirled in Bookman Jr.'s mind. His arms had always been there to catch her, and he liked catching her, every time. He liked having her depend on him, being there for her, taking care of her. A heavy sigh escaped him. These were his friends and he knew that, but he also knew that he was only allowed to get so involved with him. There was this pressure on his shoulders, constantly nagging at him. Would a day come where he would have to choose between his life as a Bookman and his life as an exorcist? Looking up at the moon once more, he took in the glowing orange color of it. It was almost the same shade as Emi's eyes.

"Man, I really nicknamed her accordingly," he murmured to himself. He hung his head once more for a moment. "I really hope she's smart enough not to be as confused as I am... Maybe I should encourage her to be a little more independent," he murmured on. Then the moon caught his eye once more. "I think I'm missing her right now, though... This is bad, real bad." All Lavi wanted was to be close to Emi, but he had a feeling nothing could ever become of it, and he felt selfish for wanting to keep her to himself. He wasn't sure what to do other than to keep down the course he'd set for himself, appearing oblivious and hoping she realized she was too good for him. "What a mess," he thought to himself, his voice soft. Still, her shy smile appeared in his head causing him to grin to himself. Sitting there on his window seal, he spent most of the night imaging what his life would be like if he had never became Bookman's apprentice.

* * *

•** Author's Note**

Oh goodness! Another update in the same month! I think I might be getting the hang of this again! I do apologize the story seems to slow down. I sort of have to reach back into where I was going with it and get myself back on track! Anyway, Reever love in this chapter! If you haven't read my oneshot called My List, it's a story about how Reever feels about Emi. It's super cute, and I don't think he really gets enough love. Anyway, Emi has come to terms with Kanda again... We'll see how long that lasts. It seems Emi and Lavi obviously feel the same way about each other, but neither one of them are quite sure what to do about all the mess lol. Also! Looks like I have some new people who've faved/subscribed to this story! I just want to say hello and thank you very much for your support! PS: I did some sketches this week of Emi in her first and second exorcist outfits. They aren't good quality because I took pics of the pics with my phone, but if you want a basic idea of how she looks, go to deviantart . com and search Emi Lazzarani and all of my silly doodles will pop up C: Review responses below... (something new!) PS: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE CELEBRATING :D

Emm

[December 23, 2012]

•** Translations**:  
None this time!

•** Word Count**:  
Ch 18 - 4,360  
**Total** - **66,941**

•****** Review Responses**:  
Arista Lycoris: I'm always happy to hear I do a good job with the cannons since they aren't really my characters. Sometimes they're a little hard to portray, so when I hear I've pulled it off, it warms my soul lol Thanks for the constant support 33

**DeadlyVampire-DayDream Cor****p**: Bahaha thank you for the compliment! Unfortunately, some of the fluff is going to be less fluffy for a little while, but I do promise to make up for it later! We have to remember we're talking about a 17 year old girl and an 18 year old boy. It's going to take them a minute to figure things out lol

**Indiahenna**: Aaah! I know what you mean about not remembering the story. I actually had to go through and re-read all my previous chapters and take notes so I could remember what I had done and what I hadn't done yet! I'm really glad you liked Daisya's little appearance in the last chapter. Since he was also a brief character in the series, I just wanted Emi to have had met him before his fate later on. He was also useful to help me get Emi's rocky emotions onto a track where I could pick them back up and flow with them again. I hope you liked this chapter too C:

**Fergie**: Thank you so much for the review and trying to catch up with the chapters! I know you're still in the beginning half, but I still appreciate it! I'm glad you think Emi fits in well with the DGM cast. I wanted her to be easy to work with and stick into various plots! It you like my story, you need to read Arista's too. Blade Chord, stronger recommended! 3


	19. New Friends and Old Problems

It was early the next morning when I heard a gentle knock at my door. The sun was just peeking in through my window, or so it seemed through the blurred vision from my one half-open eye. Yawning, I sat up and stretched one hand high above my head as the other curled in under my chin. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I went and peered out through the crack in my door as I opened it to see Lenalee's face smiling in at me.

"Good morning, Emi!" she beamed at me with a small chortle clinging to her words. I smiled at her and gave her a small wave as I pushed the door open so that she could come into my room.

"Thank you sooo much for not being Kanda!" I said to her, laughing to myself as I turned and began to tame my hair into it's normal low ponytail.

"Oh, no problem!" she laughed. "How have you been? It's been a while since I've gotten to see you" she went on casually.

"Eh," was my immediate response. Between my emotional highs and lows, confusion, and training with Kanda, I was pretty exhausted, but I wasn't about to complain because that wasn't really my style. "As good as can be, I suppose," I smiled at her.

"Well that's great to hear! I'm glad to be home, myself! Say, you think you could help me out with something?" she went on without hesitation. Blinking curiously, I turned away from my mirror and tilted my head at her.

"Depends," I squinted in mock-suspicion. "Sure," I corrected myself happily. "What's up?"

"Weeeeell," she cooed. "I really want to get started on planning Allen's welcoming party but I'm going to have a hard time keeping him out of the cafeteria all day. It's going to take all my time keeping him out of there, with how he eats, anyway... Do you think you could help set up down there while I'm away? I'd ask someone else but my brother and the science division have enough work on their plates and I wouldn't trust anyone else with it! Jerry will be helping, of course, and a lot of the Finders have volunteered because they really like Allen, too. What do ya say? It's going to be a fun little party and I think it'll be just the kind of pick-up everyone needs!"

I took a moment to let it all sink in for a moment. Plan a party? Eh, I didn't know if that was something I'd be terribly good at, but she DID say Jerry was going to help and he seemed like the type of person that would be great at it. Slowly, I began to nod as I mulled it over. I hadn't met Allen yet, but it seemed like a good a day as any! My nod became more confident as I agreed. "Sure thing! You can count on me!" I told her. Her slender little hands balled up by her face in excitement before she jumped at me and pulled me into a sisterly hug.

"Oh! Thank you so much, Emi! I'm so glad I can count on you! I better go get the coffee for my brother and everyone and go find Allen before he goes down for breakfast. This is going to be so much fun!" Before I could say much of anything else, she ran off out of my room and down the hall. I peeked out after her and watched her vanish around a corner, then shook my head as I laughed to myself. That was one thing I loved about Lenalee: her upbeat attitude and enthusiasm. Grinning, I shut my door and finished getting ready before heading down to the cafeteria.

When I first arrived, everyone inside seemed to freeze and look my direction. I probably looked a little bewildered at first as I blinked my abnormally large eyes at them. Then, slowly, I gave them all an awkward save and a small gust of relieved sighs blew my hair back slightly.

"Geeze, guys, on edge much?" I laughed as I walked up to Jerry.

"We were worried Lenalee didn't catch Allen in time," one of the Finders told me. I just nodded knowingly.

"Well, I'm no Allen, but I am here to help! Sent by Lenalee herself... So where do we begin?" I asked. Looking up at Jerry, the worry I hadn't been feeling began to creep back up judging by the grin on his face. I was in for a busy day.

* * *

Hours had gone by and I had managed to successfully get myself kicked out of the kitchen and put on the decorations committee. Apparently, no matter how hard I tried, my cooking, boiling, slicing, dicing, nor baking were anywhere near Jerry's standards. "I still love ya, kid, but get out of my kitchen!" he piped at me, shooing me away as he put out a small grease fire I'd managed to start (without grease?). Not to say I wasn't thankful for getting away from the kitchen, but I was still a little disappointed in myself for not being able to help out there. Still, making decorations was much more fitting for me, as I seemed to take to it a lot easier.

Scissors, glue, staples, etc. I found out it was fun making these things! In fact, I put so much energy into it, I made four times more than anyone else helping out. By the time lunch rolled around, they were thanking me and putting the extras in a box to save for the next part and we were on to hanging everything. I was on my tip toes on the top of a ladder where I was hanging the "WELCOME" banner when suddenly, a loud explosion from down stairs caused my ladder to shake so bad that I lost my footing and let out a loud "AAAAHHH~!" before landing on my head on the floor. A couple of the Finders rushed over to help me up. Groaning, I rubbed the back of my head as I was helped to my feet.

"What in the world-?" I began to wonder. "I better go check things out. You guys keep up the great work! I'll be back in a moment!" I called. It didn't take me long to reach the main hall. Without warning, I was immediately shoved back by a white-haired boy.

"MOVE GET OUT OF THE WAY IT'S NOT SAFE HERE!" he screamed at me as he left me in the side hall, dust trail in his wake. I blinked, taken aback again as I wondered what his problem was. Then the ground began to shake. Fear instantly crept up my spine as I turned to see a massive four-legged robot trailing after who I assumed was Allen.

"STOP RUNNING! I AM ONLY TRYING TO TREAT YOUR INJURIES!" roared the robotic voice. Then it skid to a momentary stop as it fired missiles after Allen.

"EH! What the heck!" I squeaked.

"EMI!" someone yelled my name. Turning, on the elevator, the entire science division appeared. Johnny had a massive gun on his shoulder and was taking aim at the Robot.

"Reever! What IS that thing!?" I demanded. Reever didn't seem the least bit amused at the situation.

"That ABOMINATION is Komui's attempt to make our lives easier!" he roared back.

"Until it decided Lenalee needed to be more macho," Tapp added.

"So he threw Allen under the bus," Johnny explained.

"NOO!" Out of nowhere, Komui appeared, tackle Johnny just as he was about the fire the gun. The misfire hit the floor just above me and the rubble began to fall. As quickly as I could, I dived and rolled out of the way.

"THE CHIEF IS A TRAITOR!" Johnny cried. Gritting my teeth, I looked around to see Allen pleading with Kanda. Kanda had a smug look on his face, and turned and walked off.

"Everyone's throwing this poor boy to the wolves!" I cried out. It was in another moment that the robot had Allen by his ankle, dangling upside down. I watched in horror as Allen's arm suddenly erupted into a massive claw. Then his body fell limp and I looked towards the elevator again. Reever and the others went to tackle Komui who was crying and struggling, blow gun in hand. "Really? Komui's on the robot's side?"

"He's calling it Sir Komurin II, his SON," Reever explained as they struggled to detain the chief. By then, Allen had completely been swallowed up by Komurin II. I clenched my fists, getting ready to activate my own Innocence and save the day. Komui really was a mad man! However, before I could make my move, Lenalee beat my to the punch. I hadn't noticed her there unconscious before, but she'd activated her boots and managed to kick the robot's head off. I had never seen her in action before, and I didn't know her Innocence let her fly, so it was extremely neat to watch. I guess I probably looked like I flew when I used my own Innocence, but the truth was, I was just falling with grace, using the momentum of my gloves to stay afloat. Lena, on the other hand, was actually flying! As she turned her fury on Komui, I ran over to help Allen escape the inside of the beast.

Reever and Lenalee hurried over as well. Together, we pulled a mummified Allen from the surgical depths of Komurin's belly while the rest of the science division kicked and cursed the demobilized robot.

"Thank goodness. I thought we'd lost our newest member to one of Komui's crazy experiments," Reever said as Allen regained his composure and began removing the bandages. It was then that I noticed the pentacle on his eye. I wondered to myself why he would have the mark of an Akuma on him, but I wasn't bold enough to pose the question. He'd apparently been through enough today. Then he seemed to notice my unfamiliar face there.

"Ah, I'm sorry for shoving you early," he apologized. I jumped with a start but waived off his apology dismissively.

"No, no, it's fine!" I reassured him. "If you hadn't, that thing would have probably trampled me, too. Sorry I wasn't much help stopping it. I got here a little late," I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"Allen, this is Emi Lazzarani! She's an exorcist here, too. Emi, this is Allen Walker," Lenalee presented us to each other.

"Nice to meet you," he said, reaching a hand out. I took it and gave it a shake and smiled at him.

"Likewise, I hope you're enjoying things here," I said to him, already impressed by his mannerisms. He was polite, and you have no idea how happy I was to see that. The last thing I needed was another Kanda in my life.

"Aside from Komui nearly ending my life today, things have been pretty great so far. Well, aside from Kanda... Everyone else has been pretty pleasant," he said with a smile.

"You're singing to the choir, kid," I laughed. Reever and Lenalee smiled, too.

"I think it's time to get going. Allen's probably starving by now," Lenalee said. Allen turned to her, stars in his eyes at the mention of food. With another round of laughter, we finally made our way to the cafeteria.

The party was a lot of fun! Lenalee presented Allen with his very own coffee mug and we all welcomed him to the family. Even at my own welcoming party, I hadn't really taken it in like I did at Allen's party. This really was my family now. I didn't have anyone else in the world. My family was all gone, except my father... Then again, he was never really there to begin with.

That night as I got ready for bed, I found myself sitting on my window seal again. Staring up at the sky, I thought about my father for the first time in months. As much as I resented him for robbing me of my childhood, I had to give him a small thanks. Without his pushing my career in martial arts, I wouldn't be anywhere near equip for my new life as an exorcist. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like not having the skills I did. Kanda would absolutely hate me because I wouldn't know the first thing about fighting, and I'd probably been killed on one of my missions by now. Closing my eyes, I sighed and rested my palm on my forehead as I thought. I was sure my dad was alive out there somewhere. Even if he never emitted any kind of love towards me, or anyone else, at least in my presence, I still hoped the best for him.

Slipping into my bed, my mind swarmed over my parents' love story. My dad had saved my mom when Asia had become virtually unlivable. Despite their extreme differences, they'd fallen in love. My mother was sick most of my life, though. Some point when I was still very young, my dad had become really calloused towards her, but he kept coming back and supporting us, so I believed in my heart he really did care. Was Lavi like that? Did he keep coming back to me because he cared? Eh, I was really too tired to think about it at that point. Rolling over, I just grinned to myself. Lavi would be back sometime tomorrow. It seemed like it'd been so much longer than a few days...

* * *

I woke up early the next day feeling somewhat frantic. Never before had I been the type of girl to rip through her entire closet and claim she had nothing to wear, but I was that girl today. When I didn't show up for breakfast, or lunch, Lenalee finally came to see what was going on. My room, normally the epitome of cleanliness, looked like a clothing hurricane had struck it. When Lenalee let herself in due to my lack of answering, she found me standing limp, leaned forward with my forehead creating a large smudge on my mirror.

"E-Emi!? What happened!?" she inquired with alarm.

Slowly, my head lulled to the side. My lip quivered as I responded to her. "I... have nothing... to wear," I uttered as if I'd just found out the world was ending. Lenalee's dark eyes grew large with surprise before she let out a laugh.

"We better go shopping then!" she squeaked excitedly, dashing forward to yank me out of my stupor. I was grateful that she didn't ask why I was in such a panic over something as trivial as clothes. She just seemed like she was having fun going out and having a casual girl's shopping trip. I'm sure she probably suspected the cause of my anxiety; mostly everyone seemed to see right through me. Lavi would be back by dinner and we'd been separated for days now. I just wanted to look nice when he came back, but no one called me out on it.

The outfit we settled on ended up being a form-fitting grayish white wool sweater with half-sleeves, blue jeans, hide-colored knee-high boots with three straps across the back and a small scarlet scarf that wrapped around and rested on my collar bones. It was casual but it was still nice... Better than the khaki capris and white tank top I normally wore on a day to day basis.

"Emi!" Lenalee suddenly gasped. "Let's get our nail and nails done!" she squealed happily. How could I not go along with it? I had never been pampered or anything before, and I was having so much fun, I actually stopped worrying about how Lavi was going to receive me. My hair, by the time they were done with it, was relaxed. It was still curly, but the normally unruly mess of curls tumbled down over my shoulders. They'd pulled back my dark streak in a loose French braid that went from my hairline down to the back of my head before it stopped and blended back in with my curls. My nails were just polished and nice. You wouldn't know that I was a fighter by any means by the time we walked out of the salon. Lenalee had her hair in a high single ponytail which they'd added braids to and curls. It was really pretty, and she thought the same of mine.

"Oh my!" she said suddenly. "Look at the time! We'd better get back soon or we'll miss supper!" and she was right. We'd been out all day long and lost track of time. I hoped I hadn't missed Lavi coming back yet. I really wanted to be the first one to greet him. I didn't know why- okay, that was a lie, I knew exactly why, but I was still sorting it out. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the reality of my state of confusion returned to me. Still, that didn't stop the rapid butterflies in my stomach!

When our boat docked and we were getting out, Kanda and Allen were there waiting to leave.

"Oh!" Allen gasped. "You guys look really nice!" he complimented, but, even as I smiled thanked him, I noticed Kanda looking me over down the length of his nose. Like everyone, he knew what was up with my little make over. Even for being King Bakanda, he was still perceptive sometimes.

"Che," he said in disapproval. I felt my brow knit together in anger at him. Lenalee and Allen seemed to notice the silent exchange between me and Kanda as well. Clenching my fists, I stomped past him. Kanda's scrutiny was really magical, how it could dampen even my best mood!

"What was that about?" I heard Allen's voice question in my wake.

"Emi!" Lenalee chased after me.

"I'm going to show him!" I growled to myself as she caught up. "Kanda and his high horse! I'm so sick of him judging me all the time!"

"Emi, you can't let him get to you," Lenalee chortled. I blinked at her, actually irritated for a moment, but then I sighed.

"You're right!" i said, shrugging in disbelief at myself. "I don't know what he irritates me so much sometimes," I laughed.

"You guys have a really competitive relationship, huh?" she teased.

"If you can call it a relationship. He reminds me so much of my older brother when I was a kid. My brother used to laugh at me and pick on me every time I cried," I shook my head. Lenalee just laughed again.

"I'm sure if things were different growing up and we weren't so far apart in age, my brother would be just the same!" I really was thankful for Lenalee being there to cool me down. She walked me to my room and wished me luck, even though I hadn't even mentioned Lavi all day. I must have blushed because she decided to add a, "You'll be fine!" at the end before she disappeared. I paced around my room for another twenty minutes or so and kept criticizing my image in the mirror, messing with my hair nervously, before finally heading back to the entrance. I stood there waiting for about ten minutes or so before the doors began to open. I held my breath. In what was just a couple seconds, I felt myself age another three years. Then, there he was. Red hair spike dup with his bandana, hand up on the door as he pushed it open... His attention was on Bookman who walked along beside him. I don't know what they were talking about, but i took two patient steps forward before I lost control and dashed forward. My arms went up and around his neck, nearly knocking him off his feet in surprise.

"Aah! H-hi, Emi!" his voice slithered into my ear like velvet. Even though he'd only had half a second to take me in, he seemed a little stunned which made me absolutely giddy on the inside.

"Welcome home!" I cheered into his scarf. I didn't see Bookman give him a look over my shoulder, but he did, which Lavi returned with a droll stair before his arms responded to me and gave me a tight hug.

"Great to be back!" he beamed as I let go enough to look up at him. I'd missed him a lot more than I thought I had and my heart was pounding loudly in my ears as we held each other and just smiled. He seemed just as happy as I was to be reunited, and that made my face turn bright red. That's when both of us looked down and realized we WERE, in fact, holding one another so that our bodies were pressed tightly together. In a frantic motion, we clumsily detangled ourselves and turned out backs to one another in embarrassment.

"Er, nice trip?" I asked.

"Eh, pretty standard!" he replied.

"Hungry?"

"Yes!"

"Let's eat!" we said in unison. It was a brief conversation, awkward and loud, but as we made our way to the cafeteria, we were able to put the awkward moment behind us. I didn't feel silly for getting "dolled up." I told him about Allen and the party and he was sore he missed it, but he told me about his little side mission with Bookman. Things seemed so normal and natural, just like the night on the train when we'd made an attempt at being normal teenagers.

After dinner, we went on a walk through the little green house inside HQ. It was like an inside garden. It actually had a part completely dedicated to flowers, since Lenalee loved them so much, Komui had it put in just for her. There, we found a bench to sit on in front of a fountain. Lavi threw his arms out across the back of the bench and slumped down comfortably. I, on the other hand, sat somewhat rigid, suddenly unable to make eye contact with him.

"You look really nice today, Emi," he said, almost making me jump as he broke the silence. I glanced at him and he was looking directly at me, which did nothing to help the rose hue on my cheeks.

"Thanks," I said in a small voice.

"This wasn't all for me, was it?" he asked. If I could get anymore rigid, I did in that instant. Busted, I thought, pursing my lips together.

"D-don't get all arrogant, Lavi! You sound like Kanda!" I scolded accusingly.

"What!? Nooo anything but that!" he panicked, taking my hand in both of his. "Please don't compare me to Yuu!" he bawled. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine! You... wouldn't be my best friend if you were anything like him, anyway. He's no fun," I said, again my voice shrinking. We both grew quiet for a moment. In my head, I was slipping off into fantasy. I wanted him to say he didn't want to be my best friend; that he wanted more. I didn't want to let his hands go. His fingers were rough and calloused, but they held my hands tenderly. I wanted to feel his finger tips on my cheeks... Then he let go and slumped forward, his forearms on his knees as his expression hardened a little. I hated when he made that face. It killed my spirits and I instantly withdrew into myself.

"Komui has a mission planned out for us. He's giving me a day or so to rest and then we're moving out again. I hope your training's gone well because things seem like they're starting to get more serious with these Akuma sightings," he went on. I just nodded.

"I think I'm making some progress," I reassured him. He nodded as well. "You're probably so tired. We should both probably head to bed. If Kanda knew I was staying up late, he'd have a cow," I continued.

"Imagine Yuu playing with a calf. This image makes me smile," he said, an evil grin tugging on his lips. I smiled and rolled my eyes before hopping up.

"Well, I'm glad you're home, Lavi! Now, off to bed," I began to shoo him. He walked me to my room and we said goodnight before I closed my door and leaned against it, my palm once again on my forehead in frustration as I cursed myself. I sighed and lulled my head this way and that before groaning. "Emi, what are you doing?" I mumbled at myself. Turning, I flung my door back open, ready to hurry off towards Lavi's room, but there he was, pacing in the hall. "L-Lavi?" I stammered, completely stunned.

"Emi, I-er..." We blinked at each other for a moment. Then, his fist closed tightly and he scowled at himself. "This is stupid, Emi, look I..."

"W-what?" I questioned, stepping back slightly. This was it, he was going to tell me he knew about my feelings for him and that he didn't feel the same way, I just knew it! But before he could say another word, Bookman rounded the corner and his panda-like eyebrow raised up the height of his forehead.

"Getting late, Lavi," he said gruffly.

"Damnit, you old crusty panda!" Lavi roared.

"Lavi!" I began to scold for his language, but Bookman beat me to it with an uppercut to Lavi's jaw, sending him flying away. Stopping, the old man looked at me.

"Goodnight, Miss Lazzarani," he said with a small nod before walking off. My stomach was in knots as I watched him go. Maybe he spared me my feelings, I don't know, but I was quick to retreat into my room and climb into bed. I felt all of the muscles in my face strain from the fear and contempt I was feeling. With a sigh, I shook my head and pulled my blanket up over my face. A small peep escaped me followed by a sniffle. Maybe Reever had been right, and Lavi really was an idiot.

* * *

Lavi had set two steps into HQ before Emi threw her arms around him. He'd missed her and he'd thought about her all day on the way back, but he hadn't expected such a welcome. There she was in a cute little outfit with her hair done up all cute and he couldn't believe it. Even with Bookman's disapproval, Lavi couldn't help himself. His heart jumped up in his throat as he returned Emi's embrace. He could have stayed like that forever. Her hair smelled like orchids and made his head feel light. He wasn't sure if that was her heart pounding in his ears or his, and the sound of her voice after not hearing it for so many days was just icing on the cake! That was when he realized he was getting ahead of himself and the moment became awkward for the both of them. He was glad they were able to quickly put it past them and move on to dinner.

Things were back to normal for the next few hours, which he was grateful for, until they found themselves in the garden. It only seemed suited that Emi should be among the flowers. Lavi found himself thinking about how pretty she really was and how he'd just sort of been floating around doing business when she was gone. It was odd how she'd turned into a type of anchor for him in the brief months that he'd known her.

He hadn't expected to find himself stuck once he'd taken her hand up in his. He noticed her nails were polished and smooth and that, despite being a fighter, her skin was still light to the touch. Emi was a tough girl, even though he'd seen her cry so many times, he knew how strong she was and he often thought of her as a great ally to have. He was kicking himself for not thinking of her as often as what she was: a girl. Even though he was aware of her in that sense, Emi as his fellow exorcist was the image that was usually in his head. She was there, in front of him with manicured nails and long defined eye lashes, as a woman. The perfect woman for him, as he'd pointed out before. No, he wouldn't allow himself to think like that. It was selfish. There was no room for love in a Bookman's life, so, he pulled away and went on about business.

Things seemed normal again up until they said goodnight. Goodnight was such a final word, especially when he door shut. His hands sunk heavily into his pockets and he began to walk away. Shaking his head, he turned back and looked at her closed door with his good green eye. This was ridiculous. Even if they couldn't have any sort of real relationship, she deserved an explanation for his behavior. But how would he say it?

He paced back and forth in front of her door for a few moments before he stopped. He was about to knock when the door suddenly flew open and Emi appeared looking as frustrated and worked up as him. He was going to come clean and admit to all of his thoughts and... feelings. She looked scared, though. What did that mean? Was she afraid to shut him down and hurt him? She had pointed out in the garden that they were "best friends." Maybe that's all she thought of him as, but it would be weird to just walk away and not tell her, especially since he'd started to anyway. Then Bookman happened and Lavi lost all composure. Cursing his grandfather for killing the moment, Lavi was soon banished with a hard uppercut to the jaw.

Maybe it was a good thing Bookman had stopped him. He was always told how rash and irresponsible he was.. He'd always been in denial about it, but maybe it was true. He needed to keep his head about this. It was rough, though. Sitting on his bed with his bandana around his neck, Lavi sighed. None of this was fair. More so unfair to Emi than to him. He knew what he was getting into when he signed up. He didn't understand why he couldn't fend off his feelings for Emi like he could everyone else. Maybe all those poets were right about love being an unstoppable, uncontrollable force. Laying back in his bed, he stared at the ceiling for a long moment. "Baka..." he cursed himself. His mind was going to be haunting him all night.

* * *

•** Author's Note**

Finally got some time to update! Hope you enjoyed it ^^. I sort of lost control of the characters in this chapter heh... A little fun and a little drama for everyone C:

Emm

[February 26, 2013]

•** Translations**:  
None this time!

•** Word Count**:  
Ch 19 - 5,132  
**Total** - **72,073**

•****** Review Responses**:  


**Chapter 18 Reviews**:

**DeadlyVampire-DayDream Corp**: Haha! Fluffy pillow smackings all around! I think they might help!

**Katsumi Hatake**: Realistic? Ah, thank you! That's kind of what I was going for ^ -^

**Arista Lycoris**: Eee! Glad you liked it! I think diving deeper into a characters psyche really helps developing them and making them more believable. I know I would definitely be questioning everything if my world changed entirely over the course of a couple months, so I thought it would be good to put that in Emi, too.

**BouncingRayofSunshine**: Eeeeh thank you! lol I'm so glad you enjoy the story! I'm trying my best to stay true to all of the canons and everything as best I can ^^ thank you so much for your support! 3

**uniquemangalover**: Thank you for your review! It makes me happy when people let me know they enjoy what I do C:

**Announcement Reviews**

Thank you everyone who was understanding about my hiatus due to family issues. The great news is: my grandmother came through with a near 100% recovery! The doctors had been talking about being unsure if she'd ever pull through all the way, but they don't know how stubborn women in my family are (myself included xD).Thank you all much for your support through all of this:** CloudEnvyKunoichi, Kagayaku Hoshi-chan, uniquemangalover, Katsumi Hatake, Tachi Tsuki un, Arista Lycoris, BouncingRayofSunshine, the Anon reviewr, **and** Wondering Snow** (a new reader)!

**Wondering Snow**: Thanks a bunch for your review! Hopefully we'll get to meet Krory in the next chapter(s). You also pose some great points about Emi and Kanda's sparring match and I was already kind of on the same page xD We'll see how it turns out though! Maybe next chapter, or later on. Just depends!

Anyway, thanks again for everyone's love and support! Hopefully I'll be getting around to semi-regular updates again. No matter how busy I get, this is always something I want to keep going and come back to. I've invested so much time and thought into this fic and Emi as a personal character! Wonderful supporters like you all are another big element in what keeps me coming back and encourages me to keep writing C:


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